Exit polls: Modi wave in Guj, Cong edge in HP

High turnout continues in 2nd phase of Guj polls

Continuing the high turnout trend of the first phase, about 69% of the 19.8 million electors in the second and final phase of the Gujarat poll came out to vote on Monday, deciding on whether it would be a hat trick by chief minister Narendra Modi or return of the Congress after 22 years.

However, exit polls telecast on various news channels on Monday predicted that Modi is set for a landslide victory for the third time in Gujarat while the Congress appears to have an edge in Himachal Pradesh that went to the polls on November 4.

All the polls were unanimous in their forecasts on Modi-led BJP’s victory and some even predicted a reduced tally for the Congress. The election results for both the states will be declared on Thursday.

In Gujarat, taking the 70.75% voting in the first phase, the overall turnout is likely to cross 70%, a rise of around 9% from the previous polls in 2007.

While in the second phase of the Gujarat poll, there were 820 candidates for 95 seats in 12 districts in central and north Gujarat and the Kutch, the first phase covered 87 seats in Saurashtra, south Gujarat and Ahmedabad rural on December 13.

The BJP fielded candidates in all the 95 constituencies, while the Congress is contesting in 92. The Gujarat Parivartan Party of former chief minister Keshubhai Patel, who broke away from the BJP, and the BSP are contesting 84 seats each. There are also 284 independents in the fray.

Besides Modi, top BJP leaders LK Advani and Arun Jaitley also cast their votes in Ahmedabad. The prominent candidates in the second phase include Modi, former CM and Gujarat Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela and more than a dozen ministers of the Modi cabinet.