NDA ahead, but may fall short of magic number

NEW DELHI: There''s nothing official about it, but after the final phase of polling, exit polls say the NDA is clearly going to be the single largest chunk but will be desperately seeking a new partner of two for comfort.
Television channels gave the ruling combine between 248 (Aaj Tak) and 275 (Star News) in exit polls telecast right after polling ended in the fourth and final phase on Monday.That is far from the clean sweep envisaged at the beginning of the election process, even less than the feel-OK factor from the third phase.
The Aaj Tak exit poll on Monday gave the Congress combine 191 (up 54 from 1999) and others 104. Star News hedged its bets between 263 and 275 for the BJP-led NDA, 174-186 for Congress and allies and 86-98 for the others.
The key state of UP seems to be boosting the NDA total. The Star News exit poll showed the BJP set for a whopping 36 seats (+12), with Mulayam Singh''s Samajwadi Party slipping by 10 seats at 17 and the BSP gaining marginally at 15. The Congress gains from its dismal performance last time (5 seats) to win 11 but is still a distant fourth in the state.
The Congress and allies seem to have gained significantly in the 182 seats that went to the polls on Monday. They seem to have got a huge boost in Tamil Nadu, where there was polling in all 39 seats. According to the Star News exit polls the Congress and allied Dravidian parties are set to get 31 seats, the NDA (including Jayalalitha''s AIADMK) only 8 seats.
In Delhi, Star News predicts a 4-3 verdict for the seven seats, in favour of the Congress. And the Aaj Tak poll brought good tidings for the Congress combine from West Bengal - the NDA (including Mamata Banerjee''s All India Trinamool Congress) is said to be getting 6 seats (-4), the Congress 8 seats (+5) and the Left parties 28 seats (-1).
The Zee News exit poll said in Madhya Pradesh, of the 18 seats that went to the polls on Monday, the BJP and Congress would maintain their tallies of 12 and 5 respectively. A setback to the BJP as earlier estimates had even said the Congress would find it difficult to go beyond two.
Himachal brought some cheer for the NDA with Zee TV giving 3 to the BJP and 1 seat to the Congress. The Congress had expected more seats in the hill state. In neighbouring Punjab, the channel predicted the NDA would get 8 (+5) of the 13 seats, the Congress 4 (-4) and others 1 (-1). So the NDA gaining at everyone''s cost, but that was expected.
In Kerala, where all 20 seats saw polling, the Congress is expected to get home 12 (+1) and the others 8 (-1). The NDA is not expected to open its account this time either, according to the Aaj Tak exit polls.
Both Star News and Aaj Tak have some good news for the Congress in Haryana, one that was expected. The channel''s exit poll gives the Congress 5 (+5), NDA 2 (-8), others 3 (+3). The others tally rises because of OP Chautala''s INLD which was in the NDA the last time around.