Assembly Elections Exit Poll Results 2017: As it happened

Exit poll results for the Assembly Elections in five states – Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa, and Manipur - have been announced.

New Delhi: Exit poll results for the Assembly Elections in five states – Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa, and Manipur - were announced on Thursday evening.

The exit polls predicted a hung Assembly in Uttar Pradesh where the BJP is likely to emerge as the largest single party. Most polls also forecast a close fight between the Congress, which is seeking to return to power in Punjab after a hiatus of 10 years, and Arvind Kejriwal's AAP, making its debut in the Assembly polls in the state.

They have predicted victory for the BJP in Uttarakhand, but the Narendra Modi's party, though likely to lead the table in Goa, was projected to fall short of a majority in the tiny coastal state.

In Manipur, the polls predicted a close fight between the ruling Congress and the BJP. Congress has been ruling the northeastern state for the last 15 years.

Counting will take place in all the five states on March 11.

Here are the live updates:

Uttar Pradesh exit polls 2017 (403 seats):

Zee: BJP 219, Congress 122, BSP 54, Others 7 

CNN-IBN: SP+Congress 120, BJP 185, BSP 90, Others 9

India Today-Axis My India: BJP 185,  SP+Congress 120, BSP 90, Others 9

ABP News: SP+Congress 156-169, BJP 164-176, BSP 60-72, Others 2-6

India TV-CVoter: Uttar Pradesh is tipped to throw up a hung Assembly.  The BJP could get 155-167 seats, the Samajwadi-Congress alliance 135-147 seats and the BSP 81-93 seats.  

NewsX-MRC: BJP+ - 185 seats, SP-Congress alliance - 120, BSP - 90, Others – 8

TimesNow-VMR: The BJP is expected to form the next government in Uttar Pradesh winning 190-210 seats in the 403-member Assembly. The Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance is tipped to win 110-130 seats and the BSP 57-74 seats.

• Akhilesh didn't mention BSP or Behenji's (Mayawati) name. The aim is to keep communal forces out of the state: SP's Naresh Agrawal on UP CM's statement
• Will wait for results: BSP on Akhilesh Yadav's offer
• No one wants President's rule in the state, so that BJP runs the government with a remote control: Akhilesh Yadav to BBC
• The Samajwadi Party is ready to forge an alliance with Mayawati if the need arises, but won't let the BJP gain power in UP: CM Akhilesh Yadav to BBC

Punjab exit polls 2017 (117 seats)

Zee: SAD-BJP 12, Congress 54, AAP 50, Others 1

News 24-Chanakya: SAD+ 9, Congress 54, AAP 54, Others 0

India TV-CVoter exit poll: AAP is expected to take power in Punjab. SAD + 5-13, Congress 41-49, AAP 59-67, Others 0-3

Aaj Tak-Cicero: Congress: 62-71, AAP: 42-51, BJP-SAD 4-7, Others: 0-2

India Today-Axis My India: The Congress is tipped to take power in Punjab, winning 62-71 seats in the 117-member Assembly. The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance was headed towards a rout (4-7), it said, giving the Aam Aadmi Party 42-51 seats.

Uttarakhand exit polls 2017 (70 seats)

Zee: BJP 43, Congress 23, Others 4

NewsX-MRC: BJP 38, Congress 30, Others 2 

Aaj Tak-Axis My India: BJP 46-53, Congress 12-21, Others 1-2             

India TV-CVoter: Uttarakhand expected to get hung Assembly. BJP 29-25, Congress 29-35 seats

News 24-Chanakya: BJP – 53 seats, Congress 15, Others 2

India Today-Axis My India: Congress 12-21, BJP 46-53, BSP 1-4, Others 1-2

• I am confident that Congress will get more than 35 seats: Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat

Manipur exit polls 2017 (60 seats)

India Today-Axis My India: Congress 30-36, BJP 16-22, NPF 3-5, Others 3-6

India TV-CVoter: BJP likely to finish on top in Manipur. BJP likely to win 25-31 seats, Congress 17-23, Others 9-15

Goa exit polls 2017 (40 seats)

India TV-CVoter: Goa expected to get hung Assembly. BJP+ likely to grab 15-21 seats, Congress 12-18, AAP 0-4, Others 2-8

India Today-Axis My India: Congress 9-13, BJP 18-22, AAP 0-2, MGP/SS/SV 3-6, Others 1-3

• It is my personal view that Congress-SP alliance reaped no benefit for SP, it is only beneficial for Congress. Akhilesh could've formed govt alone. At many places, Congress tried to defeat SP candidates, even if it meant victory for BJP: SP leader Ravidas Mehrotra
• Samajwadi Party's star campaigner Dimple Yadav says her husband and party chief Akhilesh Yadav will become the chief minister of UP again.
• The BJP will win 245-270 seats in UP: BJP MP Dr Mahesh Sharma
• Congress MP Pramod Tiwari says the alliance between Samajwadi Party and Congress will get the majority.Samajwadi Party and Congress will get the majority.
• The BJP will win more than 260 seats in UP: Party vice president in-charge of UP, Om Mathur
• According to election laws, exit polls can be telecast half-an-hour after the end of polling in all the phases and states.
• If candidates of recognised parties-- in this case the SP and the BSP-- die before or on polling day, the election is postponed to allow the party field a new person.
• The adjournment came after the deaths of Chand Shekhar, the Samajwadi Party candidate from Alapur (SC) and Kanwasi, the Bahujan Samaj Party candidate in Karnaprayag.
• The Election Commission had extended the ban on exit polls 2017 till 5.30 pm of March 9, 2017, following the death of two candidates.