Both Congress, BJP Hopeful Of Victory In Rajasthan After Exit Polls

The Congress and the BJP were hopeful of victory in the Rajasthan assembly polls after exit poll predictions were announced on Thursday.

While most pollsters predicted an edge for the BJP in Rajasthan, three exit polls in their upper limit forecast a Congress win in the desert state.

Polling in Rajasthan was held on November 25 and the votes will be counted on December 3.

Senior BJP leader Rajendra Rathore said his party's tally will be higher than that predicted by exit polls because "there was an undercurrent against the Congress".

"The polling percentage this time was at an all-time high..., which also indicates that there was anti-incumbency," he said.

Reacting to the exit poll predictions, BJP MP and party candidate from the Tijara assembly constituency Baba Balaknath said, "The people of Rajasthan want freedom from the Congress, given their record of corruption. The BJP is going to form the government with a majority in Rajasthan as well as Madhya Pradesh." BJP MP and party candidate from the Jhotwara seat Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore told reporters that people want a transformation and the results will be in favour of the party on December 3.

Congress leaders were expressed hope that the party would win and form the government in the state.

"Exit polls indicate that 'raaj nahi rivaz' (trend, not rule) is set to change in Rajasthan as the Congress is going to win a majority," Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said on the exit polls.

He was referring to the trend in Rajasthan of the incumbent party being voted out every five years.

Congress candidate and minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said the Congress could form the government as people have validated its development model.

"The possibility of Congress forming the government is high," he said.

In Rajasthan, India Today-Axis My India forecast a tight race, predicting 86-106 seats for the Congress, 80-100 seats for the BJP and others 9-18.

While Dainik Bhaskar gave 98-105 seats to the BJP and 85-95 to the Congress, Jan Ki Baat pollsters forecast that the BJP would get 100-122 and 62-85 for the Congress.

TV9 Bharatvarsh-Polstrat predicted 100-110 for the BJP and 90-100 for the Congress. Times Now ETG poll predicted 108-128 seats for the BJP and 56-72 for the Congress in Rajasthan.

Today's Chankaya gave a simple majority to the Congress, projecting that it would get 101 seat as against the BJP's 89.

While India TV-CNX put the Congress' tally at 94 to 104 in the 200-member House and the BJP's at 80-90, Republic TV-Matrize gave 115-130 seats to the BJP and 65-75 to the Congress.

P-MARQ pollsters gave 105-125 seats to the BJP and 69-91 to the Congress.

Jist-TIF-NAI predicted that in Rajasthan there would be continuation of the state's revolving door tradition, forecasting 110 seats for the BJP and the Congress 70. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)