Assembly elections 2017: CSDS exit poll predicts 117 seats for BJP in Gujarat, 38 in Himachal Pradesh

New Delhi: Exit polls on Thursday predicted a victory for the ruling BJP in Gujarat, giving it a clear majority in the keenly-contested Assembly polls in the state.

Soon after voting ended in the second and final phase of the election, an exit poll gave the BJP 115 of the total 182 seats and the Congress, 65. Another such survey gave the ruling party 108 seats and 74 to the Congress.

On the other hand, the CSDS survey predicted that BJP will bag 117 seats in Gujarat as against the Congress' 64. It further said that the saffron party was likely to secure 49 percent vote share. The Congress, it said, may end up with 41 percent vote share.

For Himachal Pradesh, the CSDS exit poll has predicted a defeat for Congress party in the hill state. It has projected that the saffron party will win 38 out of 68 seats while the grand old party is likely to get 29 seats. Other parties may get one seat.

As for the vote share, as per CSDS, BJP is set to gather 45% in Himachal Pradesh, while the Congress may end up with 42% vote share. Others are likely to get 13% vote share.

Meanwhile, the VMR exit poll predicted 115 seats for the BJP and 64 for the Congress, with the remaining seats going to other parties.

The C Voter exit poll gave the BJP 108 seats and the Congress, 74.

The Gujarat contest is being seen as a prestige battle for PM Narendra Modi in his home state, where a reinvigorated Congress has sewed up a broad social coalition with prominent Patidar, OBC and Dalit leaders in its bid to unseat the BJP in power for over two decades.

In its bid to form a caste bloc against the BJP, the Congress has won over Hardik Patel, Thakor and Mevani, who have emerged as the young Turks representing the Patidars, OBCs and Dalits respectively.

Exuding confidence, Rahul Gandhi on the concluding day of the campaign on Tuesday had told reporters that there was "tremendous undercurrent" against the ruling BJP in Gujarat. He had also predicted a 'zabardast' victory for his party.

The first phase of voting for the 182-member Assembly was held on December 9 and covered 89 seats. The counting of votes will be on December 18. 

In the 2012 Gujarat Assembly polls, the BJP had won 115 seats, while the Congress had bagged 61.