New Delhi: The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress is likely to retain West Bengal, if exit polls are to be believed. Projections for the neighbouring Assam gave a clear edge to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance over the Congress-led opposition.In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the ruling Left combine and the DMK-led opposition alliance, respectively, were projected ahead of their respective rivals.In Puducherry, the NDA is expected to form the government.Four states and one Union Territory – West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry – voted to elect their next government. The results will be announced on May 2.West Bengal is witnessing a high stakes battle between the ruling Trinamool Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Left-Congress alliance, for the 294 member house. The state held elections in eight phases.Tamil Nadu, which held a single-phase election to the 234-seat assembly, is seeing a contest between the DMK-Congress alliance and the ruling AIADMK-BJP alliance.Assam, where the saffron party won for the first time in 2016, held a three-phase election for the 126 member house.In Kerala, which has 140 seats, the ruling CPM-led LDF, the Congress-led UDF and the BJP are the contenders.Puducherry, which has 30 seats, is seeing a contest between the Congress-led UPA and the All India N.R. Congress-led opposition alliances. Two months before the polls, the Congress lost its power in the Union Territory due to infighting.Exit pollsIn West Bengal, the Republic-CNX polls gave the BJP a slight edge by projecting 138-148 seats for the party in the 294-seat assembly and 128-138 to the TMC. However, the Times Now-C Voter predicted a clear majority for the TMC by projecting 162 seats for the party and 115 for the BJP.Jan Ki Baat exit polls, however, predicted a strong majority for the BJP in West Bengal, giving it 162-185 seats, against 104-121 to the ruling TMC.In Assam, India Today-Axis My India predicted 75-85 seats for the BJP in the 126-member assembly and 40-50 to the Congress-led opposition.The Wire has collated the exit polls from various agencies.West Bengal (294 seats)BJPTrinamool CongressLeft-Congress allianceIndia TV172-19164-887-12CNN News1811515815Times Now-C-Voter11516222Republic-CNX138-148128-13811-21ABP-C-voter109-121152-16414-25Jan Ki Baat162-185104-1213-9Tamil Nadu (234 seats)DMK-CongressBJP-AIADMKOthersRepublic-CNX160-17028-684-6Today’s Chanakya164-18646-680-6P-MARQ165-19040-651-3Aaj Tak-Axis-My India175-19538-540-2Assam (126 seats)BJPCongressOthersRepublic-CNX58-7153-660-5Aaj Tak-Axis-My India75-8540-501-2Today’s Chanakya61-7947-650-3Kerala (140 seats)LDFUDFBJPABP-C-voter71-7762-680-2Times Now-C-Voter74650Puducherry (30 seats)NDACongress-led SDAOthersABP-C Voter19-236-101-2(With inputs from PTI)
