Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections Results Update: With the results of the 18th Lok Sabha elections expected to be announced today, attention is focused on Uttar Pradesh and its major political parties. The state has the highest number of representatives in the Indian parliament, with 80, and is seen as one of the most important factors in determining which party or coalition will form the central government. In the 2019 elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 62 seats in the state, paving the way for its second term in the central government.
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Meanwhile, the Indian National Congress has been steadily losing fortunes in the Hindi-speaking heartland. In the last election, it managed to win just one seat in Nehru-Gandhi stronghold, Rai Bareilly, which was held by former party leader Sonia Gandhi. Among the major upsets was its defeat in Amethi, another Indian National Congress stronghold, won by Union Minister Smriti Irani beating Rahul Gandhi. This time, Rahul is contesting from Rai Bareilly (Sonia became a Rajya Sabha member earlier this year) and Kishori Lal Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, is contesting from Amethi. Moreover, as part of the opposition Indian Alliance, the Indian National Congress shares seats in the state with Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, which party members hope will improve its chances of victory.
What the exit polls predict for Uttar Pradesh: The majority of exit poll results predict a comfortable victory for the NDA again. Most surveys predict the BJP-led alliance to win 67-71 seats, while the INDIA bloc is likely to win 7-13 seats. The Axis My India exit poll predicts the NDA to win 64-67 seats, while the INDIA bloc is likely to win 8-12 seats. The News18 Mega Exit poll predicts the NDA to win 68-71 seats out of the total 80 seats, while the INDIA bloc is likely to win 9-12 seats.
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