Assembly Elections 2016: Opinion poll predicts hung Assembly in Assam; ouster of Congress-led alliance in Kerala

Mamata Banerjee may retain power in West Bengal and Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu while it may be a hung assembly in Assam with an edge to the BJP and the Left return to power in Kerala, says a poll survey.

New Delhi: Even as it is being speculated that Among five state that are scheduled to face a high-voltage Assembly Elections, BJP has the best prospects in Assam, an opinion poll on Friday projected that the state may throw a hung Assembly. 

In a further blow to Congress, the poll further gagged that Left Democratic Front could oust the Grand Old Party-led alliance in Kerala.

Both the ruling parties Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu are poised to return to power, according to a press release issued by India TV, which has carried out the opinion poll in collaboration with C-Voter.

The opinion poll projects that the BJP-led alliance in Assam could win 55 seats in a House of 126, nine short of majority while Congress led by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is projected to win 53 seats, down from 78 it had won five years ago.

The BJP-led alliance includes the AGP and Bodo People's Front.

Badruddin Ajmal's All India United Democratic Front is projected to win 12 seats, six less than last time, while 'Others' may win six seats.

In Kerala, the Left Democratic Front is projected to get a comfortable majority with 86 seats in a House of 140, while the Congress-led United Democratic Front, which is currently ruling the state, is projected to get 53 seats.

The opinion poll says that the BJP-led alliance may win only one seat there.

In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is projected to retain power, with her party Trinamool Congress likely to win 160 seats in a House of 294, the opinion poll says. This is 24 seats less than 184 the party had got five years ago, scoring a land slide victory.

Left Front and Congress, which are fighting the state under a strategic understanding this time could win a total of 127 seats together---106 and 21 respectively. The poll projects the BJP winning only four and 'others' three seats.

This means the Left Front's tally may go up to 106 seats, up from 60 seats five years ago, while the Congress share of seats may shrink from 42 five years ago to 21 this time.

In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister J Jayalalitha's AIADMK-led combine may get a comfortable majority with 130 seats in a House of 234 while the DMK-Congress alliance is projected to secure 70 seats. Others may win 34 seats.

The poll was conducted in the fourth week of March according to C-Voter, the release said. 

Vote percentage wise, LDF in Kerala is projected to get 43.8 percent, up by 0.2 percent, while UDF is projected to get 41.3 percent, which 4.5 percent down from the 45.8 percent they had got last time.

In West Bengal, Trinamool Congress vote share may rise to 39.6 percent from 38.9 percent of last time, while the Left Front's vote share may slip to 31.4 percent from 39.7 percent last time.

Congress vote is also projected to slip from 9.1 percent to 8.3 percent. But they seem to be making gains together due to the strategic partnership. BJP's voteshare is projected to rise to 4.1 percent this time from 2.2 percent of last time.

The opinion poll projects that the BJP-led alliance in Assam could get 35 percent votes, up from 33.9 percent it had got last time, while the ruling Congress voteshare may be reduced to 36.9 percent from 39.4 percent it had secured in the last assembly polls.

The opinion poll also projects a slight fall in the vote share of AIUDF from 12.6 percent to 12.1 percent this time.

In Tamil Nadu, where AIADMK is the ruling party, though it appears way ahead in number of seats it could win, the opinion poll projects a drastic fall in its vote share to 39.1 percent down from 51.9 percent in last elections.

Even the DMK-Congress vote share is projected to go down to 31.8 percent from 39.5 percent last time. BJP-led alliance's vote share is, however, projected to rise to 4.1 percent from 2.2 percent last time. 

(With Agency inputs)