Exit polls: Mamata retains Bengal, big gain for BJP in Assam

Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have voted for change giving the Bharatiya Janata Party its first government in the northeastern state dislodging Congress which also lost Kerala while Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was set to regain power trouncing All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, according to various exit polls shown on TV channels.

Only West Bengal has bucked the trend by re-electing Trinamool Congress led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who managed to hold on to power by defeating the Left-Congress alliance convincingly for a second consecutive term, the polls showed.

The Congress could take solace from its projected victory in the tiny Union Territory of Puducherry where it is likely to get power in alliance with the DMK.

The exit poll results were released at the end of the polling in Tamil Nadu and Kerala on Monday, marking the closure of voting in four states and Puducherry. Counting of votes will take place on May 19.

Assam

In Assam, where the BJP has high stakes, it could get its maiden government with India Today-Axis-My India polls giving the saffron alliance 79-93 seats in a house of 126. The Congress has been projected to get 26-33 while All India United Democratic Front headed by Badruddin Ajmal is set to get 6-10 seats. 'Others' can get 1 to 4 seats.

The ABP Ananda poll gave the BJP alliance 81 seats, Congress 33, AIUDF 10 and others 5. Times Now C Voter projected BJP to get 57 seats and Congress 41 while AIUDF and others are set to get 18 and 10 respectively. Today's Chanakya gave the BJP and overwhelming 90 seats against Congress' 27 and AIUDF 9. 

In the outgoing Assembly in Assam, the Congress had 78 seats while the BJP had only 5. The AIUDF had 18 seats while current BJP allies Bodo People's Front and Asom Gana Parishad had 12 and 10 seats respectively.

Tamil Nadu

Projecting a defeat of Jayalalithaa led AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, exit polls have given DMK-Congress alliance a comfortable majority in the 234 member assembly.

The India Today-My Axis-India polls survey gave DMK and allies 124 to 140 seats and AIADMK 89 to 101. The BJP is likely to get 0 to 3 seats while 'others' 4 to 8.

News Nation poll handed over 114 to 118 seats to DMK front, 95-99 for AIADMK, BJI - 4 and 'others' 23. Today's Chanakya gave 140 to DMK-Congress alliance, 90 to AIADMK and 4 to Progressive Welfare Front  headed by Vijaykanth and 'others'.

However, CVoter predicted an AIADMK victory giving it 139 seats, 78 for DMK alliance, 0 for BJP and 17 for 'others'.

In the current assembly, the AIDMK had 150 members while DMK had 23. The DMDK had 29 and the Congress 5.

Kerala

In Kerala, the CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front will wrest power from Congress-led United Democratic Front maintaining the trend of change in every election.

The poll on India TV showed the LDF getting 74 to 82 against UDF's 54 to 62. The BJP and 'others' are projected to get 4 seats each. The India Today-Axis polls 88 to 101 seats for LDF and 38 to 48 for UDF. The BJP may get upto 3 seats.

C Voter has predicted 78 for LDF, 58 for UDF and 2 for BJP. In the last elections, the UDF had 72 seats and the LDF 68. 

West Bengal

West Bengal opted for status quo where ABP Ananda poll gave the ruling TMC 178 seats, 6 less than what it got in the last election. The Left-Congress alliance has been predicted to get 110 seats against 103 it had won in the previous election. But in the last election, the Congress and TMC had an alliance.

The India Today-Axis My India has projected a landslide victory of 233 to 253 seats for TMC in a house of 294 while the Left-Congress alliance is tipped to get 38 to 51. BJP and 'others' have been projected to get upto 5 seats each.

Times Now-C Voter gave 167 seats to TMC, Left parties 75 and Congress 45. It gave 4 to the BJP and 3 to 'others'.

Today's Chanakya gave upto 210 to TMC, while it gave 70 to Left-Congress combine and 14 to the BJP.

Puducherry

In Puducherry, the Congress DMK alliance has been projected to get 15-21 seats in the 30 member assembly. The AIADMK is tipped to get 1-4 while the ruling All India N R Congress is likely to get 8 to 12 while others upto 2, according to India Today-Axis My India poll.

India TV C voter predicted the Congress DMK combine to get 10 to 18 seats while the AINRC could get 5-13. AIADMK is likely to get 1-9, BJP upto 2 and others 0 to 4.

In the outgoing house, the AIRNC had 15 while Congress 7, AIADMK 5, DMK 2 and an independent one seat.