Exit polls: BJP may retain Tripura, Nagaland; NPP shines bright in Meghalaya

BJP first wrested power in Tripura in the 2018 elections (Representational image)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to retain power in Tripura and Nagaland along with its regional allies, whereas, the National People's Party (NPP) is ahead in Meghalaya, the bulk of exit polls showed.

The BJP was part of the incumbent ruling coalition in Tripura and Nagaland, where it shared power with Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), respectively. In Meghalaya, the saffron party and NPP - part of the outgoing alliance government - severed their ties ahead of the polls, and decided to go solo.

Tripura

The India Today-Axis My India survey predicts the BJP and its ally IPFT to win 36-45 seats, which is well above the halfway majority mark of 31 seats.

The CPI(M)-led Left parties are predicted to win 6-11 seats, whereas, the Congress - which contested in alliance with the Left - is expected to draw a blank, as per the exit poll. Meanwhile, the Tipra Motha, the recently launched party led by erstwhile royal Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, is predicted to bag 12 seats.

The Zee News-Matrize survey also predicted a victory for the BJP-IPFT, with the alliance likely to bag 29-36 seats. It, however, said the Left-Congress to likely emerge as the main opposition with 13-21 seats. The Tipra Motha is expected to bag 11-16 seats.

Also Read | Why Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura elections matter for national politics

According to Jan Ki Baat, the BJP-IPFT combine is predicted to bag 29-40 seats, the Left-Congress alliance 9-16 and Tipra Motha 10-14.

However, one exit poll, released by ETG, predicted a hung verdict in Tripura. As the survey, the BJP is likely to emerge as the single largest party with 24 seats, but the CPI(M)-Congress alliance is likely to be close with 21 seats. The Tipra Motha will bag victory in 14 constituencies, it predicted.

Nagaland

In Nagaland, the alliance between the BJP and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) is likely to win 35-43 of total 60 seats, as per the Zee News-Matrize exit poll. The Naga People's Front is (NPF) is predicted to win 2-5 seats, and the Congress 1-3.

Axis My India predicted the BJP-NDPP combine to win 38-48 seats, whereas, the NPF is expected to win 3-8 seats, and the Congress 1-2.

ETG exit poll predicted the NDPP to bag 27-33 seats alone, whereas, ally BJP is expected to win 12-16 seats. The NPF is predicted to bag 4-8 assembly segments, it added.

According to Jan Ki Baat, the BJP-NDPP is likely to win 35-45 seats, the NPF 6-10 and others 9-15.

Meghalaya

Meghalaya is likely to witness a close contest, with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma's NPP predicted to win 21-26 out of the 59 seats, the Matrize survey said.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which gained strength ahead of the elections due to the defection of a number of sitting Congress legislators into its rank, is expected to win 8-13 seats, the Matrize exit poll added. The Congress is predicted to be restricted to 3-6 constituencies, whereas, others, which includes independents and small party candidates, are likely to cumulatively bag 10-19 seats, it further said.

Axis My India also predicted the NPP to emerge as the single-largest party, winning 18-24 seats, followed by the Congress bagging 6-12 and the BJP 4-8.

The ETG exit poll said the NPP is likely to win 22 seats, the BJP is predicted to win 5 seats, the Congress 3 and others are expected to cumulatively win around 30 constituencies.

According to the Jan Ki Baat survey, NPP is expected to win 11-16 seats, Congress 6-11, BJP 3-7 and others 5-12.