Will Jammu And Kashmir Get Its First BJP CM On October 8? Here's What Exit Polls Say

Poll Of Polls 2024: As per the exit polls, the Congress and NC alliance is likely to get 35 to 50 seats, while the PDP is expected to get 4 to 12 seats. The BJP is likely to get 20 to 32 seats.

Poll Of Polls 2024: The Exit Polls on Saturday gave a mixed result for Jammu and Kashmir, which has gone to polling for the first time in a decade. The post-poll predictions showed the Congress-NC alliance getting a lead in the Union Territory, with the BJP trailing behind the alliance with a wide margin.  

As per the exit polls, the Congress and NC alliance is likely to get 35 to 50 seats, while the PDP is expected to get 4 to 12 seats. Though the pollsters gave a lead to alliance, the opposition parties are expected to win the polls, but with a razor-thin majority. 

The BJP in Jammu and Kashmir is likely to get 20 to 32 seats, while the others are expected to get as many as 18 seats. 

The Dainik Bhaskar poll predictions showed that the BJP is likely to get between 20-25 seats, while the Congress-NC alliance is expected to get 35-40 and the PDP is expected to get 4-7 seats. 

The India Today-C Voter showed the BJP likely getting between 27-32 seats, while the Congress-NC alliance expected to get 40-80 and the PDP expected to get 6-12 seats. 

Peoples Pulse, on the other hand also gave a lead to the Congress-NC alliance, expected to get 46-50 seats and BJP to get 23-27 seats. The PDP is likely to get 7-11 seats and other parties getting 4-6 seats. 

Here is the breakdown of the Exit Polls predictions:

Source	Congress-NC	BJP	PDP	Others
CVoter	40-48	27-32	6-12	6-11
Peoples Pulse	46-50	23-27	7-11	4-6
Dainik Bhaskar	35-40	20-25	4-7	12-16
Matrize (Republic Bharat)	31-36	28-30	5-7	8-16
Chanakya (News-24)	46-50	23-27	7-11	4-6

In Jammu and Kashmir, the Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference is fighting the elections in alliance with the Congress. Mehbooba Mufti's PDP and the BJP are fighting the elections separately. Other parties including Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party and Engineer Rashid's Awami Ittehad Party are also contesting the elections. 

 Now, all eyes are on the results of the assembly elections, which will be announced on October 8, along with Haryana Assembly Election results. 

How Leaders Reacted To Exit Polls?

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah described the exit polls as “just time pass” even though the results are in favour of his party.

"I’m amazed channels are bothering with exit polls especially after the fiasco of the recent general elections. I’m ignoring all the noise on channels, social media, WhatsApp etc. because the only numbers that matter will be revealed on the 8th of Oct. The rest is just time pass," Abdullah, a former chief minister, wrote on X. 

J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina said his party contested the assembly polls with all its strength.

“BJP will emerge victorious on October 8 and will start working on the formation of the government. We fought the elections on our own strength. Our target is to win the elections with the blessings of the people and we will achieve splendid victory," he said.

Meanwhile, J&K Congress president Tair Hameed Karra said the Congress-NC alliance is in a comfortable position to form the next government in the Union territory.

“This election was primarily to keep the BJP out of the power corridors, restoration of statehood along with land and job guarantees. I am seeing the (Congress-NC) alliance in a comfortable position to form the government,” Karra said.

People's Democratic Party (PDP) said the exit polls were not reliable and it was too premature to talk about government formation. We have seen that exit polls are not reliable. What matters are the numbers that will come at the end of counting, senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar told PTI.

Asked if the party will support the NC-Congress coalition if need be, Akhtar said it was premature to comment on that. "They might not even need our support. Finally, a decision on this matter will be taken by the party. All said and done, we are still part of the INDIA bloc. We have not gone anywhere," he added.

President of Awami Ittehad Party and Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid said the government formation was not a priority for his party and added that the election was for raising the issue of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Our party will be in a strong position. Forming the government is not a big deal for us, but raising the voice of the people of Kashmir is what matters to me. Are those who voted for our party being called traitors by Omar Abdullah? The Abdullah family has always betrayed the people of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.