Exit Polls Predict Photo Finish

Five-phase election for 81 seats in Jharkhand ends with a voter turnout of 65.23%

- Satyasundar Barik

Exit polls predicted a close fight in Jharkhand, where the fifth and final phase of polling in 16 Assembly constituencies passed off peacefully on Friday.

All exit polls predicted that the BJP and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress alliance were locked in a neck to-neck fight while India Today-Axis My India survey gave a clear majority to the JMM-Congress alliance.

The India Today-Axis My India survey, which was close to the final figures in the last few exit polls, said JMM-Congress could return to power by bagging 38-50 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, while the BJP’s possible tally was put at 22-32.

The IANS-CVoter-ABP Exit poll said the JMM-Congress was marginally ahead of the BJP as the alliance was predicted to get 31-39 seats, while the BJP may get 28 to 36.