Exit polls: BJP confident of winning 150 seats in Gujarat, Cong skeptical about predictions

Battle for Gujarat

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani insisted on Thursday that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would win 150 out of the 182 seats in Gujarat, even as the majority of exit polls predicted a tally of around 110 seats.

Exit polls suggested the BJP would achieve clear majorities in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Most polls gave the BJP 110-120 seats in Gujarat, short of the BJP President Amit Shah's stated target. The party had won 115 seats in the 2012 Assembly elections. Today's Chanakya, which was the only agency to correctly predict the 2014 Lok Sabha elections results, said the BJP would win 135 seats in Gujarat.

"We are going to get 150 seats," Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani told CNN News18.

"Our target is 150 and we are very sure we will reach closer to the target," Sudesh Verma, a BJP member said.

The Congress, which is estimated to win around 70 seats in Gujarat and lose power in Himachal Pradesh, was skeptical about the projections.

Emphasising how the end result is often different from the projections made in the exit polls, Tom Vadakkan, National Spokesperson of the Congress, said: "I’m quite skeptical of exit polls, it just gives an idea. I would say let’s keep the suspense alive until December 18".

Swapan Dasgupta, a the BJP Member of Parliament said, "While CSDS is a good organisation which gives you a social trend, its predictions are not as robust as it seems."

Patidar leader Hardik Patel, who backed the Congress, said he remained about confident about change in the state.

Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, who is contesting as an Independent candidate, said: "This time, I think, BJP will definitely lose and it will not get more than 80 seats at any cost. We will win Vadgam from where I am contesting."