Exit polls in India have shown that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is projected to have lost two key provincial elections to the main opposition Congress party and its allies. In the northern state of Haryana, Congress has a clear advantage, marking an end to a decade of BJP rule in the state. Additionally, the opposition also held an edge in the Himalayan territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Both elections were held in phases that ended on Oct 5, with votes being counted on Tuesday and results being announced the same day.
The release of the exit poll results on Saturday brought attention to the potential setbacks for the BJP, particularly after the party fared poorly in the national elections. Exit polls in India are conducted by private polling firms, including TV broadcasters, but they have a patchy record due to the country’s large and diverse voting population. These two territories are the first to go to the polls since the national elections, with Maharashtra and Jharkhand expected to follow in November.
Jammu and Kashmir, which is India’s only Muslim-majority territory, has endured years of militant violence and has been at the centre of a dispute with neighbouring Pakistan since 1947. The election in the region was the first in a decade, with its status as a special semi-autonomous entity being revoked by Modi’s government in 2019. The government claims that this move has helped restore normalcy in the area and boost development.
India’s industrial hub of Maharashtra and the mineral-rich eastern state of Jharkhand are up next in the provincial elections, with poll dates expected to be announced in November. The results of these elections will provide further insight into the political landscape in India following the national elections. The exit poll projections suggest a shift in power dynamics, with the BJP facing challenges from the Congress party and its allies in key provincial elections.
Overall, the exit polls in India have highlighted potential victories for the main opposition Congress party and its allies in two key provincial elections, signaling a possible setback for the ruling BJP. These results come after the BJP fell short in the national elections and had to form a coalition government with regional parties. The upcoming results of the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections will further illuminate the changing political landscape in India as different parties vie for power at the provincial level.
