Saffron leaders in buoyant mood in Rajasthan, Cong too hopeful after exit poll projections

Jaipur, Nov 30 (IANS) The voting process in five states -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram -- got over on Thursday, after the completion of the last round of polling in Telangana.

While counting of votes will take place on December 3, the exit polls data released on Thursday evening presented a mixed picture.

By combining the findings of the major news organisations and survey agencies, it seems the BJP is set to return to power in Rajasthan, the Congress is likely to wrest Madhya Pradesh, besides looking close to form the government in Chhattisgarh and Telangana, while Mizoram may be headed for a hung Assembly.

In Rajasthan, majority of the exit polls -- five out of eight -- have projected the BJP as the front-runner to form the government.

With most of the exit polls putting the BJP ahead in the race to form the government in Rajasthan, the party leaders are in a buoyant mood in the desert state.

Narayan Pancharia, the head of the election management committee in Rajasthan, said, “We are confident to win 130+ seats in the state. The BJP will get a clear majority. This time, the voting percentage was quite high and we know that there is an undercurrent for the saffron party. We believe in our surveys, which predicted that our party will get 130+ seats."

Meanwhile, veteran Congress leader Varun Purohit said, “There is no anti-incumbency against the Congress. Most of the surveys are giving 80+ to our party. If such surveys are giving us these many seats, why can't we get 120 seats? If people dislike the Congress, we should have been projected to win below 50 seats. The people are satisfied with the work of the Congress."