These parties can emerge as kingmakers in next government formation

Here’s a list of kingmakers - the regional parties who could decide the fate of the nation for the next five years.

New Delhi: As the results of the counting of the votes in the Lok Sabha election are just about to come, the exit polls and the poll of polls have given the BJP led NDA a clear mandate.One can’t rule out that a rainbow collation could be formed at the centre if the official results show the opposite on May 23. That experiment may not also happen if the results of the exit polls are any indication. According to various exit polls, the smaller parties which could have a key to forming the next government have been able to get only 130 seats of the magic number of 272. Nevertheless their relevance in a genuine democracy where the needs and aspirations of a large majority of the country are represented by the regional parties like the Dravidian aspirations in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry and the needs of the Telugu speaking population in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. As we end the story of this chapter in Indian elections, it would appear that the keys to forming the next government can be with the members of the Mahagathbandhan or the regional parties of the South and East or will the country again witness an encore of the BJP helmed by the seemingly invincible Narendra Modi. Below we look at parties who could play the role of a kingmaker Telangana Rashtra Samithi: K Chandrashekhar Rao , the chief minister of India’s newly carved state Telangana has 10 parliamentarians and hopes to increase the tally making him on the most watched politicians if at all a BJP-led NDA fails to meet the requisite numbers. Biju Janata Dal Naveen Patnaik, who is sanguine about earning most of the 21 seats in Odisha, is someone who is closely eyed upon by Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. The eastern state was battered by one of the strongest cyclones in two decades. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Patnaik for overseeing the relief and rescue operation and for working with great coordination with the central teams. Trinamool Congress: West Bengal sends 42 members to the lower house and Mamata Banerjee's TMC could be one of the key players for a non-BJP government. As of today, Mamata is the most trenchant critic of the Modi government after Congress. Exit polls have predicted that BJP would be making deep inroads in West Bengal and s projected to win around 15 seats out of 42. But if that doesn't happen, Didi will be in a more dominating position in deciding the future of the next non-BJP government. YSR Congress Party: YSRCP president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in another politician to watch out after the election results are announced. Most exit polls have given his party a clear lead over Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP. The BJP and the Congress are trying to pull him in their favour. His 20-25 seats set the ball rolling in the formation of the next probable government. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam: The move of MK Stalin, chief of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu, will also be keenly watched. He had publicly endorsed Rahul Gandhi for prime minster and was accused by local BJP leaders of being in touch with their party for post-poll deal. Most exit polls have said the DMK-Congress may turn the tables on AIADMK and may win close to 30 seats. It remains to be seen whether his MPs play a crucial role in forming the non-BJP government at the Centre. Bahujan Samaj Party: Mayawati's alliance with Samajwadi party in Uttar Pradesh has paid dividends, according to exit polls and if the two partners manage to grab over 45 seats, it would send the BJP scrambling to other states to counter the deficit. Samajwadi Party: Samajwadi Party chief and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav also holds the key to the new government forming at the Centre. Yadav is among the top leaders who have taken Modi head on in this election. SP could get around 20-30 seats and can be in commanding position to decide the nxt government.The Mahagathbandhan partners are confident about their coherent strategy succeeding in Uttar Pradesh and if at it does, the BJP would then face the biggest hurdle beginning from India's most crucial state.