The assembly elections for five states concluded today after Telangana voted to elect 119 members of the state legislative assembly. The result of the exit polls has been announced. The counting of the votes for all the five states namely Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan will take place on December 3. 

The exit polls predicted Congress win in Chhattisgarh. If the Congress reclaims its power in the state it will be a major boost to the party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Exit poll of ABP News- C Voter showed BJP with 36-48 seats, Congress with 41-53 seats. As per India Today- Axis My India, BJP gained 36-46 seats with Congress winning in 40-50 seats. Jan Ki Baat predicted 34-45 seats for BJP and 42-53 for Congress. News 24- Today’s Chanakya showed 33 seats for BJP and 57 seats for Congress. TV9 Bharatvarsh- Polstrat and Republic TV- Matrize showed 35-45 and 34-42 for BJP, while 40-50 and 44-52 for Congress respectively. The two-phase assembly election in the state took place on November 7 and November 17. To win the assembly election in the state, the political party must win 46 seats. 

In Rajasthan, the exit polls predicted that Ashok Gehlot might lose power as BJP is gaining majority seats in the state. Notably, a political party needs to win 100 seats in order to win the assembly election in the northern state. Dainik Bhaskar gave BJP 98-105 seats, Congress around 85-95 seats. Jan Ki Baat predicted 100-122 seats for BJP and 62-85 seats for Congress. India Today- Axis My India showed 80-100 seats for BJP and 86-106 for Congress. TV9 Bharatvarsh- Polstrat gave 100-110 seats for BJP and 90-100 seats for Congress. Times Now-ETG predicted 108-128 seats for BJP, while 56-72 for Congress. Rajasthan conducted a single-phase assembly election on November 25.

According to multiple exit polls, Madhya Pradesh might witness a tough fight between BJP and Congress. To win the assembly election in the state, a political party has to win 116 seats. Dainik Bhaskar predicted 95-115 seats for BJP and gave Congress 105-120 seats. Jan ki Baat predicted 100-123 seats for BJP and 102-125 seats for Congress. Republic TV- Matrize predicted 118-130 seats for BJP and 97-107 seats for Congress. TV9 Bharatvarsh- Polstrat showed 106-116 seats for BJP and 111-121 seats for the Congress. Madhya Pradesh assembly election was carried out on November 17. 

Congress might win in Telangana, where the assembly election was conducted today. As per India TV- CNX, BRS will claim 31-47 seats, 63-79 Congress, 2-4 BJP and 5-7 AIMIM. Jan ki Baat predicted 40-55 seats for BRS, 48-64 seats for Congress, 7-13 seats for BJP and AIMIM 4-7 seats. Republic TV- Matrize showed 46-56 seats for BRS, 58-68 seats for Congress, 4-9, 5-7 seats for BJP and AIMIN respectively. TV9 Bharatvarsh- Polstrat predicted 48-58 seats for BRS, 49-59 Congress, 5-10 BJP and 6-8 AIMIM. To win the Telangana assembly election, a political party has to win 60 seats in the state legislative assembly. 

In Mizoram, MNF and ZPM witnessed a tight battle in winning the assembly election with 21 seats. ABP News-C Voter predicted 15-21 seats for MNF, 12-18 seats for ZPM, 2-8 seats for Congress. India TV- CNX showed 14-18 seats for MNF, 12-16 seats for ZPM, 8-10 for Congress and 0-2 for BJP. Jan Ki Baat predicted 10-14 seats for MNF, 15-25 seats for ZPM, 5-9 seats for Congress and 0-2 for BJP. Republic TV- Matrize showed 17-22 seats for MNF, 7-12 seats for ZPM, 7-10 seats for Congress and 1-2 for BJP. Times Now-ETG predicted 14-18 seats for MNF, 10-14 seats for ZPM, 9-13 seats for Congress and 0-2 seats for BJP. Mizoram was the first state to go into assembly election on November 7.

In short, according to the exit polls, the BJP is set to defeat the Congress and return to power in Rajasthan, a state that has voted out the ruling party in elections for the last three decades. In BRS ruled Telangana, the Congress appears to be surging ahead as the exit polls indicate a clear lead over BRS.  As per exit polls, Congress might retain power in Chhattisgarh giving the party a major boost ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In Madhya Pradesh, BJP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is looking for his fifth term with Congress giving a tough competition to the party. Meanwhile, the exit polls have shown no clear winner in the Mizoram Assembly election.

The voter turnout during Telangana Assembly elections on Thursday was at 64% till 5pm as per the data shared by the Election Commision of India. The polling started at 7am on all 119 constituencies across the state and ended at 5pm on 106 seats. For the 13 seats affected by Left Wing Extremisim, elections concluded at 4pm.

The voting percentage increased steadily with about 9% recorded in the first two hours, increasing to 20% by 11 am. The voter turnout exceeded 35% by 1pm and 50% by 3pm. About 3.26 crore registered voters cast their votes at 35,655 polling booths sealing the fate of 2,990 candidates in fray. The polling percentage is likely to increase as many people were in line by 5pm in the polling stations. The polling was brisk in districts like Medak, Mulugu, Nirmal, Adilabad whereas it was low in Hyderabad district.

During the elections Telangana BJP president and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy wrote a letter to the Election Commission of India. He alleged the workers and candidates of ruling Bharat Rashtra Samiti are involved in electoral malpractices. Reddy wrote BRS people are working in groups of 100 – 200 people around polling stations and the police did not take any action on the same.

The letter read the Police and other officials instead of taking action against such incidents, is allowing the BRS workers to attack the BJP workers. Earlier Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, state BJP president G Kishan Reddy, BRS working president KT Rama Rao, his sister and MLC K Kavitha, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi cast their votes.

Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya and Tripura Governor Indrasena Reddy were important personalities who cast their vote in Hyderabad. The ruling BRS faces competition from the BJP and the Congress. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is banking on social welfare schemes to win a third consecutive term.

Ahead of the exit polls, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said that no matter what exit polls say, Congress will once again form the government in the state. The Chief Minister also put forth three reasons to back his claim, and added that not just in Rajasthan, but the BJP is not going to win in any of the five states where assembly elections took place.

Ashok Gehlot said that firstly there is no anti-incumbency wave against the Congress-led government in Rajasthan. He added that the second one is the Chief Minister as BJP voters will also say that the CM left no stone unturned in carrying out development work. He then pointed out that the third reason is the language used by the Prime Minister, Home Minister, BJP Chief Ministers and Union Ministers during the campaign. 

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the BJP leaders used threatening and intimidating language during their poll campaign, which he feels would not be well accepted by the people of the state.  However, he mentioned that if the BJP’s religion card works, then they might emerge victorious in Rajasthan.

In the last week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the Congress would lose from every corner of Rajasthan and the BJP will form the next government in the state. Taking a dig at Ashok Gehlot, Amit Shah said that the Chief Minister does not have any guarantee of his own. What guarantee is he giving? he asked. 

In addition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi jabbed Gehlot during a poll campaign in Rajasthan earlier this month, calling the Chief Minister magician. He said that the people have decided not to vote for the magician and that Congress will vanish from the state after the election. He also slammed the Congress government, claiming the party sent the state to the top of the chart in terms of crimes and riots by allowing anti-social elements owing to its appeasement policy. 

The assembly election took place in Rajasthan on November 25. The counting of votes will take place on December 3.