BJP to Win Gujarat, But Facing Tough Fight in Himachal: Exit Polls

Results for state elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh will be out on 8 December and a day after that Delhi will announce the results of its local elections.

Exit polls reported by a number of Indian media organizations have suggested that federally ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is once again set to repeat its success in the state of Gujarat and in Himachal Pradesh it's nail-bitingly close, as the party goes neck-and-neck with arch-rival Congress.

But in Delhi's local elections, the BJP looks set for certain disappointment as the Aam Admi Party (AAP) seems likely to win by a landslide.

Most exit polls predict that the BJP will form a government for the seventh time in a row in Gujarat and it seems possible that it might even have extended its majority. Overall, the BJP is hoping to win 131 of the total 182 seats in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state.

At present the BJP has 110 seats in the Gujarat legislative assembly, and the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has about 60 seats. Exit polls show that the UPA may shrink to 41 seats, and the AAP, which is contesting the state polls here for the first time, seems unlikely to win more than about 3 to 7 seats.

The polling in Gujarat was held in two phases: 1 and 5 December.

In the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, it looks as though the incumbent BJP may form another government.

Some pollsters said the BJP is likely to win about 34 to 37 seats in Himachal Pradesh. But others suggested it could be a neck and neck fight this time with rival Congress which is expected to win anywhere between 24 and 34 seats of the total 68 seats.

Elections were held on 12 November in Himachal Pradesh. The BJP-ruled state witnessed voter turnout of 65.95 percent. To form a government, a party needs half the number of seats plus one if the total is an even number.

In Delhi, however, the BJP looks set for a shock as a slew of exit polls have indicated that the capital's ruling AAP could win between 149 and 171 wards out of 250 wards in the city's civic polls. Congress may fall to single or double digits in these elections.

At present, the BJP rules the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and pollsters predict that its number may slip to between 69 and 91 wards this time.

Local elections were held on Sunday and witnessed a 50.47 percent voter turn-out. Results will be declared on Wednesday.