In the state assembly elections, India’s main opposition Congress party is projected to win two out of five states, while it is in a close contest with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling nationalist party in two heartland states, as per TV exit polls revealed on Thursday.
The state elections are considered as a significant test of Modi’s chances of securing a third term in a national vote scheduled by next May.
With more than 160 million people eligible to vote in the regional polls, these elections saw a tough competition, and voters from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram all participated in the process, which took place in four legs and ended on Thursday.
The votes in all five states will be counted on Dec. 3, and the results are expected on the same day.
Three out of the five states have witnessed a tough battle between Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress party. The BJP has been in power in one of the states, Congress in two, and regional parties in the remaining two.
As per at least nine exit polls, the Congress party is anticipated to win in mineral-rich Chattisgarh and Telangana state. Some of them suggested that the BJP was likely to defeat Congress in Rajasthan.
The poll predictions from Madhya Pradesh state displayed mixed results. According to two exit polls, a regional party was expected to win again in the northeastern state of Mizoram.
Though exit polls tend to be inaccurate in India, politicians and analysts note that they do not always indicate national voter mood, and state elections do not always influence the outcome of general elections.
In a survey conducted in August by the India Today media group, it was found that Modi’s popularity remains intact after a decade in power, with 52% of respondents considering him best suited to hold the top post for a third time.
(Reporting by Rupam Jain; Editing by Gareth Jones)
