Himachal to go to BJP, exit polls predict

New Delhi: Exit polls today said the BJP would oust the Congress and regain power in Himachal Pradesh. People in the hill state have been alternating between the Congress and the BJP in Assembly elections every five years.

The Times Now-VMR and Zee News-Axis exit polls predicted that the BJP would win 51 of the total 68 Assembly seats in the state. While the Times Now-VMR exit poll gave 16 seats to the Congress and one to another, the Zee News-Axis poll gave 17 seats to the party in power in Shimla.

There are a total of 68 seats in Himachal Pradesh, elections to which were held on November 9. A party needs 35 seats to be able to form a government. The final results will be out on December 18.

The Aaj Tak-Axis exit poll gave 47-55 seats to the saffron party, 13-20 to the Congress and 0-2 to others. Among other exit polls, the News X survey predicted that the BJP would win 42-50 seats and the Congress, 18-24.

In the 2012 election, the Congress came to power by winning 36 seats, while the BJP got 26 seats and others bagged the remaining six.