Manipur Election Exit Poll Results 2017 as it happened: Axis poll now predicts Congress victory

No surprises in store in #Manipur
Watch full #ExitPoll2017 here: https://t.co/4fqxBWbTYl@INCIndia @BJP4India pic.twitter.com/PQOwV6TE5Q

— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) March 9, 2017

#ResultsWithNDTV | Follow our election coverage live on https://t.co/LpfcFgEPtg pic.twitter.com/WMhXd9keUT

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2017

#ResultsWithNDTV | Follow our election coverage live on https://t.co/LpfcFgEPtg pic.twitter.com/WMhXd9keUT

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2017

India Today – Axis poll predicts Congress’s victory

India Today Axis My India poll projected its figures of Manipur and this agency seems to be at variance with C-Voter, predicting that Congress will between 30-36 seats in the 60-seat Assembly, edging past BJP’s tally of 16-22 seats. If this is true, this could be the silver lining Congress was hoping for. 

Watch the first ever exit poll from Manipur. Watch India Today-Axis exit poll LIVE on India Today https://t.co/4fqxBVUizL pic.twitter.com/U8IVLlMssb

— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) March 9, 2017

Even as exit polls come out, violence reigns in the state. 

A handgranade went off at Singjamei under Singjamei PS in Imphal west this evening at about 4.30 pm. No casualty has been reported till date. The bomb exploded at the road divider in front of the Kumar Variety store at Singjamei Bazar along the Indo-Burma road, police said. The blast took place just a day after an IED exploded in Kasturi bridge in Imphal city on Wednesday evening injuring nine persons.

Manipur: IED Blast took place near Singjamei Super Market in Imphal at around 4.20pm; no injuries reported pic.twitter.com/9bWKesT8Hr

— ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2017

Manipur exit poll 2017: C-Voter predicts BJP surge, but majority unlikely #MegaExitPoll pic.twitter.com/nwAYRBHyyd

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) March 9, 2017

Tracking BJP’s rise to power in North-East

The rise of BJP, as projected by exit polls, in this easternmost state is in line with the recent ascendancy it is enjoying in north-eastern states. As in Assam where Congress poll strategist Himanta Biswa Sarma walked over to BJP on the eve of the polls and helped script Congress downfall, in Manipur too six rebel Congress MLAs quit the party and were given tickets by the BJP. If the exit poll projections hold (C-Voter predictions have also been buttressed by India Today My Axis figures), then it would also seem that chief minister O Ibobi Singh’s attempt to polarize the electorate between hills and plains didn’t work.

BJP projected to make historic gains in #Manipur, emerge biggest in #Goa, but fall just short in both: HuffPost-CVoter Exit Poll pic.twitter.com/ym1OgfwUL1

— HuffPost India (@HuffPostIndia) March 9, 2017

Swing of votes in Manipur

#ManipurElection2017 #exitpoll2017 pic.twitter.com/WXkHlP25RF

— CVoter India (@CvoterIndia) March 9, 2017

#ManipurElection2017 pic.twitter.com/b137hJEtyD

— CVoter India (@CvoterIndia) March 9, 2017

#ManipurElection2017 pic.twitter.com/Hsps3Mw5Fz

— CVoter India (@CvoterIndia) March 9, 2017

BJP likely to seek NPF’s help to form a government in state

If C-Voter’s projection about BJP’s ascendancy proves to be correct, the party may still fall short of the magic figure of 31 (CVoter predicts a figure between 25-31 with a +/-3 error margin). In that case, the saffron unit may need the support of other parties. This is where Naga People’s Front may come into play. Though BJP chose to go it alone in the polls and contest in all 60 seats, the party may just seek NPF help in forming a government, For Congress, this means one more step towards a Congress-mukt Bharat with BJP rapidly replacing it as the dominant national outfit.  

#ManipurElection2017 pic.twitter.com/FCmAEtVCr6

— CVoter India (@CvoterIndia) March 9, 2017

Performance of different political parties in the 2012 Manipur elections

#ManipurElection2017 pic.twitter.com/77oYPRVGkY

— CVoter India (@CvoterIndia) March 9, 2017

C-voter explains the methodolgy for its exit poll results

#ManipurElection2017 pic.twitter.com/NadvMS48TJ

— CVoter India (@CvoterIndia) March 9, 2017

BJP’s positive swing comes at expense of other political parties in state

C-Voter predictions for Manipur, based on a sample size of 1330, predicts a 36 per cent positive swing in vote share compared to 2012 figures. According to the agency, while BJP may witness 33.6 per cent swing in its favour, Congress votes will witness a 12.9 per cent erosion. BJP’s positive swing is likely to come at the expense of other politics parties whose combined vote share will go down by 20.6 per cent, according to C-Voter.

Meanwhile you can check out Exit-poll results for Punjab election  here .

BJP seems poised to end Congress’s 15-year rule in state

BJP seems poised to end Congress’s 15-year rule in Manipur. Early exit polls predictions suggest that the eastern state is following the footsteps of Assam where a saffron surge washed away tarun Gogoi’s 15-year reign. According to India TV-CVoter exit poll figures, BJP is slated to win 25-31 seats in the 60-seat Assrmbly while Congress may settle for 17-23 seats.

Is Okram Ibobi Singh on his way out?

According to C-voter, BJP might clinch Manipur from Congress. The poll predicts that BJP might win 25-31 seats out of the total 60 seats. The poll predicts that Congress might only win 17-23 seats and current chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh could be on his way out from the post. Poll pundits believe that prime minister Narendra Modi’s campaigning in the state has made in-roads for the party. 

There was also heavy anti-incumbency in the state, whereas BJP was projecting closeness to the Nagas.

BJP likely to sweep Manipur

According to C-Voter exit poll, BJP may clinch Manipur and expand its presence in North-East.

MANIPUR: BJP May Clinch Manipur, Expand Presence In North East
BJP May Win 28 Seats, Cong Down By Over Half To 20 Seats pic.twitter.com/xPCnm7nEZi

— BTVI Live (@BTVI) March 9, 2017

Who will win this round of election? 

While we wait for the exit polls to begin,lets take a look at how the two main competing parties in the state performed in the previous elections. As this infographic shows, the Congress has led in all previous Assembly elections however BJP gave it a tough fight in the General elections. Will the BJP win this round? or will the Congress keep fighting to keep its legacy alive in the state?