J&K Exit Polls: Cong-NC seen taking lead but missing the majority mark

New Delhi: The National Conference (NC)-Congress alliance is seen as the clear winner in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, but may miss the majority mark by a whisker, a couple of polling agencies found in Exit Polls released on Saturday.

Most exit polls have shown the Congress-NC staying ahead in the race but failing to cross the magic number, thereby leading to the possibility of a hung house in the 90-member Assembly.

A Poll of polls shows the Congress-NC alliance fetching 43 seats, three less than the majority mark of 46.

According to India Today-C Voter exit polls, the National Congress (NC)-Congress alliance is projected to win between 40-48 seats while the BJP is likely to bag 27-32 seats. Mehbooba Mufti-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is seen fetching 6-12 seats while others are seen pocketing another 6-12 seats, an unusually high strike rate for Independent candidates in the valley.

According to Dainik Bhaskar, the Congress-NC combine is expected to emerge as the largest alliance, however, staying short of the halfway mark. The alliance is seen bagging 35-40 seats, the BJP getting 20-25 while the PDP managing with just 4-7 seats. Others including Independents are seen emerging as big players in this exit polls, as they are projected to claim victory in as many as 16 seats.

Peoples Pulse exit poll gives the NC-Congress alliance a clear mandate, with its numbers crossing the halfway mark. It is expected to get 46-50 seats while the BJP will be reduced to 23-27 seats and the PDP will get 7-11 seats. All the polling agencies have predicted a clear majority for the BJP in the Jammu region, however Congress-NC tie-up is also seen posing a challenge in the region.

In the Kashmir Valley, people’s mandate is seen heavily tilted towards the NC-Congress alliance while the PDP is failing to repeat its clout, like earlier. Even in the case of a fractured mandate, the NC-Congress alliance is expected to be way ahead of its closest rival BJP and in a better position to form the government, the first in the UT after abrogation of Article 370.

IANS