New Delhi, March 7 The ruling BJP is set to retain power in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh with a tally of 236 seats, as per the ABP C-Voter Exit Poll.
However, the BJP will return to power with a reduced margin in the 403-member UP Assembly, with a loss of 89 seats after winning 325 seats in 2017.
The Samajwadi Party will put up an impressive show and is likely to get 140 seats, up 92 from its previous tally of 48 seats, but far short to challenge the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP in Uttar Pradesh.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is projected to win 17 seats, while six seats will go to the Congress.
The BJP is holding on to its vote share at 40.5 per cent, down by a mere 0.9 per cent. The SP is gaining 10 per cent vote share at 33.6 per cent.
The sample size for the Exit Poll was 1.04 lakh in Uttar Pradesh.
In other states, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is ahead in Punjab, the Congress is within striking distance of the majority mark in Uttarakhand, while Goa is again throwing up a hung Assembly, as per the Exit Poll.
Arvind Kejriwal's AAP is way ahead of the Congress and Akali Dal in Punjab, as per the Exit Poll.
AAP is projected to get 56 seats in the 117-member Punjab assembly, within kissing distance of the majority mark. The ruling Congress is slated to get 25 seats while the Akali Dal is projected to get 23 seats.
The X factor in Punjab elections is that a large number of marginal seats will be decisive.
In Uttarakhand, the Congress is very close to the majority mark and is projected to get 35 seats in the 70-member Assembly. The ruling BJP is projected to get 29 seats. The others category in Uttarakhand is likely to get 5 seats of which 3 is likely for BSP.
The BJP is losing vote share by 5.7 per cent at 40.8 per cent, while the Congress is gaining the similar numbers at 39.3 per cent.
Goa is projected for a hung Assembly with no party or block getting a majority. The ruling BJP is marginally ahead of Congress with 15 seats in the 40-member Assembly. The Congress alliance is at 14 seats. The MGP is getting 7 seats and AAP is getting 3 seats in Goa, as per the Exit Poll.
BJP's vote share is at 32.7 per cent, followed by the Congress at 30.2 per cent, AAP at 14.5 per cent and MGP at 10.5 per cent.
In Manipur, there is no clear verdict. The BJP is the single largest party at 25 seats in the 60-member Assembly, followed by Congress at 14 and NPP at 12.
Thre current survey findings and projections are based on C-Voter Exit Poll/Post Poll personal interviews conducted on pollling day and after polling day among 18+ adults statewide.
The sample size was 17,480 for Uttarakhand, 16,533 for Punjab, 5,502 for Goa and 5,269 for Manipur. The projection comes with 95 per cent Confidence interval.
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