BJP ahead of others in Uttarakhand, according to exit poll

New Delhi, Feb 21 (UNI) BJP has emerged as the most likely party to form government in the hill state of Uttarakhand, according to an exit poll conducted by Star News- AC Nielsen.

Of the 69 seats for which polls were held in the state today, the survey gives BJP 33 seats with 29 per cent votes.

The ruling Congress comes to a second place with 25 seats and 26 per cent votes while others get 11 seats with 45 per cent votes.

Others include BSP (5 seats, 9 per cent votes), UKKD (three seats with seven per cent votes), Independents and smaller parties.

As many as 7200 people were questioned across 29 constituencies in the state for the exit polls.

There are 70 seats in the Assembly but elections were held for 69.

These were the second Assembly polls for the state carved out of the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh in 2000 after a prolonged struggle by the people of the area protesting the neglect of their region the poll said.

The BJP had formed the government in the state when the Assembly was bifurcated at the time of creation of the state.

Dislodged from power by the Congress in the first Assembly election two years later, it had emerged as the second largest party in the Assembly, with 19 MLAs in the 70-member assembly against the Congress's 36.

The BSP had sprung a surprise by bagging seven seats, but the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), which had spearheaded the movement for the separate hill state, had to remain content with four seats the poll said.

The Independents had got three and the Nationalist Congress Party one.

The BJP had led in 49 Assembly constituencies in the last Lok Sabha elections.

UNI