The BJP is likely to double its tally in Telangana with many Exit Polls projecting its victory in the majority of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Many regional channels and agencies foresee a tough fight between the BJP and the Congress, which stormed to power in the Assembly elections held in November 2023.
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which lost power after ruling the state for 10 years, may draw a blank, predicted most Exit Polls.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is predicted to retain the Hyderabad seat.
Aaraa Poll Strategies Private Limited predicted that the BJP will win 8-9 seats, as it gave 7-8 seats to the Congress and 1 to the AIMIM. The agency predicted a total rout for the BRS.
According to People Pulse, the Congress may win 7-9 seats, while the BJP is likely to bag 6-8 seats. It gave 0-1 seat to the BRS and 1 to the AIMIM.
TV9 Pollstrat also predicted BJP’s victory on 8-9 seats, besides giving 7-8 seats to the Congress and 0-1 seat to the BRS.
The Civil Polls Analysis Committee (C-PAC), however, projected the BRS to win 11 seats in the state.
C-PAC, whose Exit Poll for the Assembly elections had proved accurate, predicted BJP’s win in two constituencies, as it gave 1 seat each to Congress and AIMIM and predicted a tough fight in the remaining two constituencies.
C-PAC also predicted BRS’ victory in the by-election to the Secunderabad Assembly seat, which was held along with the Lok Sabha polls on May 13.
Almost all the Exit Polls predicted that the AIMIM would retain the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat, which it has been winning since 1984.
In the 2019 elections, held a few months after the BRS retained power in the state with a thumping majority, the KCR-led party had bagged 9 seats, polling 41.3 per cent votes.
The BJP won 4 seats with a vote share of 19.5 per cent, its best show in Telangana so far.
The Congress bagged 3 seats but polled 30.2 per cent votes, while the AIMIM retained the Hyderabad seat.
In the Assembly elections held in November 2023, the Congress dramatically improved its fortunes to wrest power from the BRS, which ruled the state for the last 10 years. In the 119-member Assembly, Congress bagged 64 seats with a vote share of 39.40 per cent.
The BRS won 39 seats with 37.35 per cent vote share.
Congress ally CPI won the only seat it contested with a vote share of 0.34 per cent.
The BJP almost doubled its vote share compared to 2018 at 13.90 per cent, as it improved its tally from 1 in 2018 to 8 last year.