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NEW DELHI: Exit polls released on Monday were unanimous that the NDPP-BJP alliance was set to sweep Nagaland and that Conrad Sangma’s NPP would finish a clear first but short of a majority in Meghalaya, but differed on the outcome in Tripura.
One gave the BJP-led alliance a two-thirds majority in Tripura, another gave it a narrow win and a third estimated that it would be a triangular race in the state with the BJP-IPFT combine narrowly ahead of the Left-Congress alliance, but short of the halfway mark in the 60-member assembly.
Tripura exit polls 2023
If the exit polls released on Monday prove accurate, NDPP’s Neiphiu Rio would get a fifth term as chief minister in Nagaland, having earlier held the post from 2002 to 2014 and regained it in 2018. In all three polls, the NDPP-BJP alliance was shown getting close to a two-thirds majority.
Assembly polls: Exit polls predict big win for BJP alliance in Nagaland
In Tripura, where BJP scored a surprise win in 2018 displacing the Left after decades in power, the exit polls indicate that the fledgling Tipra Motha had done extremely well in the state’s tribal seats and could yet get to play kingmaker, if the Times Now poll turns out right.
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Exit polls predict BJP win in Tripura and Nagaland, hung assembly in Meghalaya
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<p>Voting for the Meghalaya and Nagaland Assembly polls went off peacefully on Monday, the Election Commission (EC) said, adding that there was no demand for a re-poll from the two northeastern states.<br /></p>
<p>The Poll of Polls indicates that the BJP and the IPFT alliance would get 33 seats in the 60-member assembly by garnering 45% of the popular vote giving it a spectacular win.</p>
<p>The NDPP and BJP alliance in Nagaland is set to win 41 seats, the Poll of Poll suggests.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Poll of Polls predicted a hung house in the state described as ‘Scotland of the east’, even though Meghalaya’s Chief Minister Conrad Sangma remained confident of victory.</p>
<p>A voter turnout of 76% was recorded in the Meghalaya Assembly elections on Monday.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Polling began in 59 of the 60 assembly constituencies in the northeastern state of Meghalaya at 7am, as 21.6 lakh voters were set to seal the electoral fate of 369 candidates.<br /></p>
<p>Enthusiasm among voters in the Khasi Jaintia Hills region and voting is picked up slowly in the Garo Hills. Long queues were seen in several polling stations<br /><br /></p>
<p>”Malfunctioning of EVMs came to the fore at a few polling booths, but those were later fixed. Polling is being held in a free and fair manner,” the Chief Electoral Officer F R Kharkongor said.<br /></p>
<p>The ruling National People’s Party is fighting to retain power while the BJP, the Trinamool Congress and other regional parties are vying to bring about a change in government in Meghalaya.<br /></p>
<p>Polling was held at 3,419 stations, of which 640 have been categorised as ‘vulnerable’ and 323 as ‘critical’. Over 19,000 polling personnel and 119 companies of CAPFs were deployed.<br /></p>
<p>Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma is contesting from the South Tura constituency, where he is pitted against militant-turned-politician Bernard Marak.<br /></p>
<p>A largely peaceful voting in the assembly polls with a turnout of over 82% was reported from Nagaland, which was earlier a hotbed for militants.<br /></p>
<p>The nominees contested in 59 out of 60 assembly seats, as the Akuluto seat in Zunheboto district was won uncontested by BJP candidate and sitting MLA Kazheto Kinimi.<br /></p>
<p>The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the BJP are contesting the polls on a 40:20 seat-sharing arrangement. The NDPP-BJP combine is seeking a mandate for the second term, with Neiphiu Rio as the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance.</p>
<p>Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio exercised his franchise around 11.45 AM at his native village in Touphema in Northern Angami-II seat, along with his wife and three daughters.<br /></p>
<p>Rio, who is seeking re-election for the seventh consecutive term from the seat, exuded confidence that the “NDPP-BJP alliance will return to power with a massive win”.<br /></p>
<p>The Congress, which ruled the state till 2003 and does not have any member in the current House, has fielded 23 aspirants. The NPF, which won 26 seats in the last assembly polls, has fielded candidates in 22 seats, but one of them withdrew, leaving 21 in the fray.<br /><br /></p>
<p>The electors include 6,47,523 male and 6,49,876 female voters, who are eligible to exercise their franchise in 2,291 polling stations. <br /></p>
The projections for Meghalaya suggest that incumbent CM Conrad Sangma is best placed to occupy the post again with backing from BJP, which was an ally in his government though not in the polls.
The polls all agree that BJP will gain seats in Meghalaya and Nagaland while disagreeing on whether the saffron party will see its tally reduced in Tripura. In contrast, all the polls agree that Congress will see further erosion in its presence in the three northeastern states.
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