It's advantage Congress, indicate exit polls

Exit polls by two television channels on Tuesady projected that Maharashtra's ruling Congress-NCP alliance will emerge victorious in the Assembly elections and one of them predicted Congress victory in Haryana.

IBN Lokmat-CNN-IBN exit poll gave Congress-NCP combine between 135 and 145 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly with Congress surging ahead with 75-85 seats and its alliance partner NCP winning between 55 and 65.

The Shiv Sena is projected to win between 55 and 65 seats and BJP emerging victorious in 45-55 seats, it said.

Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is seen by the exit poll as winning between eight and 12 constituencies while others and Independents 25-35 seats.

Star News predicted Congress victory in 89 seats and NCP in 48. With 137 seats, it put the ruling alliance within sniffing distance of 145 seats required for a simple majority.

The same exit poll showed Shiv Sena getting 62 seats and its ally BJP 51 seats. It gave MNS 12, Republican Party of India-led alliance five and others 21 seats.

Star News exit poll projected a Congress win in Haryana with the party winning 57 seats in the 90-member Assembly.

The INLD is shown winning 18 seats, Haryana Janhit Congress (nine), BSP (three), BJP (one) and Others (three).