Congress poised to form government in Telangana: Exit polls

New Delhi [India]: Exit polls on Thursday predicted that Congress is poised to form government in Telangana and that the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) would fall short of the majority after its 10-year rule in India’s youngest state.

The polling for the 119-member Telangana concluded on Thursday and it was the last among five states that went to the polls this month. The outcome of exit polls was released after polling concluded in Telangana.

The Times Now-ETG exit poll gave 38 per cent vote share to BRS, 43 per cent to Congress and 13 per cent to others. It said the ruling party in the state is poised to win 37-45 seats, Congress 60-70 seats, BJP 6-8 and others 5-7 seats.

Republic TV exit poll gave Congress 58-69 seats and the BRS 46-56 seats. It said BJP could win 4 to 9 seats and others 5 to 8 seats.

The poll predicted a 41.60 per cent vote share for BRS, 43.30 per cent for Congress, 10.80 per cent for BJP and 4.30 for others.

The India TV-CNX exit poll predicted 63-79 seats for the Congress, 31-47 for the BRS, 0-2 for the BJP and 5-7 for others.

According to Jan ki Baat poll, Congress is poised to win 48 to 64 seats in Telangana. It said BRS could win 40 to 55 seats and BJP 7 to 13 seats.

Telangana recorded a voter turnout of 70.28 per cent.

A total of 2,290 contestants were in the fray. In 2018, BRS (then Telangana Rashtra Samithi) won 88 of the 119 seats and had a 47.4 per cent vote share. The Congress came a distant second with 19 seats.

The counting of the votes will take place on December 3 along with four other states.
The high-stakes battle in Telangana witnessed a largely triangular contest involving the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Congress.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao sought a record third term in office in the polls as the Congress campaign gained momentum in the past few months with the BJP also talking of the “misrule and corruption” of the ruling Bharatiya Rasthra Samithi government.

The Congress chief in the state Anumula Revanth Reddy, 54, was seen as a leader who took on KCR as the party tried to gain from the perceived anti-incumbency against ruling party MLAs.