Close Fight Between BJP, Congress Likely In Haryana Elections: India Today-Axis My India Exit Poll

The BJP is likely to face a tough fight from the Congress in Haryana Assembly elections, with the ruling party projecting to win 32-44 seats, while the Congress may bag 30-42 seats, according to the India Today- Axis My India exit poll.

The latest exit poll, published on Tuesday, is a sharp contrast to what the other exit polls predicted on Monday. The exit polls forecast a facile victory for the saffron party under the Manohar Lal Khattar in Haryana and rout for its rivals led by the Congress.

Exit polls, broadcast soon after the polling ended, varied widely in their projection of seats for the rival alliances but an emphatic victory with more than two-third seats for the BJP-led NDA in Maharashtra and Haryana was the common theme.

The ABP-C Voter forecast 72 and eight seats for the BJP and the Congress respectively. The CNN-IPSOS projected 75 and 10 seats for the two parties respectively.

The poll of polls brought out by the NDA gave the BJP and the Congress 66 and 14 seats respectively in Haryana, and 211 and 64 for the saffron alliance and the Congress-NCP in Maharashtra.

The poll of exit polls by News Nation predicts the saffron party is likely to get as many as 67 seats, a massive 20 seats jump from its 2014 tally. The Congress, which won 15 seats in the 2014 Haryana Assembly elections is projected to win 13 seats. The Om Prakash Chautala-led INLD looks to face the biggest set back as its tally is likely to come down to a single seat in 2014 Lok Sabha seats.

Republic TV-Jan Ki Baat Exit Poll: Haryana

BJP: 57 seats

Congress: 17 seats

Others: 16 seats

Times Now Exit Poll: Haryana

BJP: 71 seats

Congress: 11 seats

Others: 8 seats

TV9 Bharatvarsh Exit Poll: Haryana

BJP: 47 seats

Congress: 23 seats

Others: 20 seats

ABP News-C Voter Exit Poll: Haryana 

BJP: 72 seats

Congress: 8 seats

Others: 10 seats

NewsX-Polstrat Exit Poll: Haryana

BJP: 77 seats

Congress:11 seats

Others: 2 seats

News 18 Exit Poll: Haryana

BJP: 75

Congress: 10

Others: 5

News Nation Poll of Exit Polls: Haryana

BJP: 67

Congress: 13

Others: 10

The official results will be announced on October 24. In the polls, Dushyant Chautala-led Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), a breakaway faction of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), is hoping for an improvement in its prospects following the debacle in the Lok Sabha elections, in which Bharatiya Janata Party won all the 10 seats in the state.         

The JJP had emerged on the scene following a feud in the Chautala clan in December last year. The prestige of families of Haryana's famous 'Lals' -- Devi Lal, Bansi Lal and Bhajan Lal, who were former chief ministers--is also at stake.       

The Late Bansi Lal's daughter-in-law Kiran Choudhary (Tosham) and son Ranbir Mahendra (Badhra) are contesting as Congress candidates.

Devi Lal's great grandson and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala (Uchana Kalan) and granddaughter-in-law Naina Chautala (Badhra) are fighting as JJP candidates. Devi Lal's grandson and former chief minister O P Chautala's son Abhay Singh Chautala is fighting as an INLD candidate from Ellenabad.       

The late Bhajan Lal's sons Kuldeep Bishnoi (Adampur) and Chander Mohan (Panchkula) are in the fray as Congress nominees.