Modi's BJP Set To Hold Onto Uttar Pradesh Majority Despite Major Losses

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's right-wing BJP and its allies in the National Democratic Alliance look set to narrowly hold onto its majority in the legislative assembly of India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, despite significant losses according to exit polls. With the chamber holding 403 seats, 202 are required for a majority.

• Exit polling from Polstrat projects the following results: National Democratic Alliance (Right): 218 (-104), Samajwadi Party+ (Centre-left|Centrist): 153 (+101), Bahujan Samaj Party (Centre-left): 19, Indian National Congress (Centre-left): 5 (-2). +/- vs. 2017 Election
• NewsX: NDA: 40,1 % - 211/225 seats, SP: 34,9 % - 146/160 seats, BSP: 14 % - 14/24 seats, INC: 7,4 % - 4/6
• The NDA looks set to have lost over 100 seats to the cenre-left Samajwadi Party, but coming from a high-water mark of 312 seats in the 2017 election the governing party looks to have done just enough to avoid requiring outside support to govern.
• The Uttar Pradesh vote was viewed as a major test of Modi's enduring popularity and reaction to his gov'ts handling of the COVID-19 pandemic ahead of the 2024 nationwide legislative elections.
• Exit polls in other states counting election results today (Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur) by and large show the results as too close to call, although in Manipur the BJP look to have ousted the incumbent INC gov't.