BSP ahead of others in UP poll race : Exit polls

New Delhi, May 8 (UNI) The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by former Chief Minister Mayawati is set to emerge as the single largest party leaving clear possibility of a hung assembly in Uttar Pradesh, as the last phase of the seven-stage staggered poll for the 403-member house of the most populous state concluded today.

In all the exit polls conducted by leading private television channels, the BSP is predicted to get a tally of 135 to 170 seats.

But this is not enough to form a government on its own as it requires 202 seats for an absolute majority for formation of a government.

The ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) is projected to finish with 100-123 seats as compared to 145 seats it had won in the last elections held in 2002. It emerges as the second party to reckon with in some of the surveys.

However, one survey gave the SP a third position with the second spot going to the BJP.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies are expected to get 80 to 118 seats as compared to their tally of 106 seats.

The Congress Party, which had launched a major campaign led by its youth leader and Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi, is projected to improve its performance with 25 to 45 seats as compared to its tally of 25 seats in the last elections.

The BSP's main gain in the poll, often described as a mini-General Election, came from Uttar Pradesh West, Doab, Bundelkhant and Avadh regions.

According to CNN-IBN-Indian Express-CSCS Exit poll, the BSP would get 29 per cent of the overall votes and 152-168 seats.

Despite the strong anti-incumbency, the Samajwadi Party may get between 99 and 111 seats with a vote share of 25 per cent to come to the second spot. The party seems to have recovered some lost ground in the last three pahses of elections. But it would end up losing one per cent of its vote share.

It said the BJP's projected tally of 80 to 90 seats could leave it alone with its smallest tally since 1989. The BJP is projected to get 22 per cent of votes, which is two per cent less than 2007. The BJP's projected vote share is 22.6 per cent, nearly 3.5 per cent less than the BSP's share of 26.2.

The Star News-Nielsen Exit poll gave the BJP the second position with 108 seats and the ruling Samajwadi Party of Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav the third position with 96 seats with a vote share of 22 per cent.

It projected 27 seats to the Congress with a vote share of 10.3 per cent.

According to NDTV Exit poll projections, The BSP would get 117-127 seats, followed by the Samajwadi Party with 113-123 seats, BJP with 100-118 seats and the Congress 35 -45 seats.

UNI