Three exit polls broadcast after the final phase of the Assembly elections ended on Friday predicted a closely fought race and gave an edge to the JMM-Congress-RJD Opposition alliance.

If the exit polls are to be believed then two players, the JVM and the Ajsu Party, will be kingmakers in the government formation exercise (see chart).

The BJP, however, put its confident foot forward.

“We will in the majority and we will form the government,” said BJP spokesperson Pratul Nath Shahdeo. “Outcome of the exit polls can’t be taken as the ultimate truth because if you remember in the parliamentary election exit polls had predicted only five to six seats to us whereas the NDA alliance won 12 of the 14 seats. Raghubar Das is again going to form government.”

A senior party leader who spoke under cover of anonymity, however, confided that the BJP would need the support of its “former” ally Ajsu Party and even the JVM. “Channels of negotiation have been opened,” the BJP leader said.

The JMM also exuded confidence that the alliance would bag 50-plus seats.

“We have our ground reports that indicate the alliance will get massive majority and the government is going to formed under the leadership of Hemant Soren. People have voted judiciously,” said JMM central general secretary cum spokesperson Suprio Bhattacharya.

The Ajsu Party remained tight-lipped over its post-election strategy.

“In terms of growth we will remain the number one political party of Jharkhand. We don’t subscribe to exit polls because they have a very small sample size. We will rather wait for December 23 (counting day) and our agenda is that the next government must be village-centric,” said Ajsu Party spokesperson Deosharan Bhagat.

A senior JVM leader said that they expected to win 10 to 15 seats. “Media always rule us out so the exit polls are not surprising for us. We will be the kingmaker and we are not going to support the BJP or the JMM. In case the JMM alliance ends up with 30 seats then Babulal Marandi will be the chief minister if they want to keep the BJP away from power,” said the leader.

The Telegraph

Guarded BJP reply

At a news meet at the BJP’s media centre in the state capital, Jharkhand BJP general-secretary Deepak Prakash gave a strategic reply when asked whether the party would realise its campaign slogan of winning more than 65 seats.

“We will form the government,” Prakash said when The Telegraph asked him whether the BJP would win 65 seats or not.

Asked the number of seats the party expected to win, Prakash just said: “Wait for December 23.”

State BJP spokesperson Pratul Nath Shahdeo claimed the party would register a “historic” victory in Santhal Pargana and claimed that JMM executive president Hemant Soren would be defeated from both seats, Barhet and Dumka, from where he has contested.

Yashwant hopes

Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha said: “I am not a great believer in exit polls but for the sake of Jharkhand and its people I hope that these ones turn out to be correct and we shall be able to see the end of BJP rule in Jharkhand on December 23.”