The seventh and final phase of voting in Uttar Pradesh concluded today
The seventh and final phase of voting in Uttar Pradesh concluded today and with this the assembly elections in the five states - Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Uttar Pradesh - has also ended. While the counting of votes is on May 10, all eyes are now on the exit polls.
The UP polls - spanned over a period of two months - saw a high-octane campaign by the political parties and a a fierce battle between Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party and the ruling BJP - which is seeking to override anti-incumbency.
In Punjab, the Congress led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi is eyeing a second consecutive term in power, the big challenger is Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Uttarakhand elections witnessed a three-pronged contest with the ruling BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party vying for power in the 70-seat assembly.
The Goa Assembly polls were held in a single phase this time and all 40 constituencies voted the same day. Goa registered a very high voter turnout averaging around 80 per cent.
Manipur voted in two phases - on February 27 and March 3 - as the elections were held for the 60-member state assembly.
Here are the updates on poll of exit polls:
SBSP's OP Rajbhar, ally of Akhilesh Yadav - "Samajwadi Party is going to form the government. Now, Akhilesh Yadav just needs to decide the date for his swearing-in."
"We fought this election on the basis of work done by our party," said Shant Prakash Jatav, UP BJP leader.
Shant Prakash Jatav, UP BJP leader - "I am hoping somewhere between 325 and 350 seats for the BJP and somewhere between 17 and 47 for the Samajwadi Party."
