UPDATE - Exit polls hint ruling vs main opposition parties in close race in key Indian elections

UPDATES WITH DETAILS OF EXIT POLLS, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) – Exit polls suggested on Thursday that India’s ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the main opposition party Indian National Congress are in a close race in the key provincial elections, and both parties are likely to win two states each out of five states.

At least nine exit polls predicted an edge to the Congress party in Chhattisgarh state, while surveys gave a win by nose to the incumbent BJP in central India's Madhya Pradesh state.

Local broadcaster NDTV reported that seven surveys showed a likely win for BJP in Rajasthan state, while Congress was leading in the southern Telangana state.

Earlier on Thursday, voting was held in Telangana in the last phase of provincial elections in the five Indian states, where polling continued throughout November.

In the northeastern Mizoram state, the fight is between two regional parties.

Exit polls are conducted by several agencies, but the authenticity is not always correct. In the past, it has been witnessed in India that there have been huge differences when the actual results are announced.

Polling in five states – Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, and Telangana – took place in several phases starting on Nov. 7.

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi party is presently ruling Telangana, where 32.6 million people were to cast their votes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday particularly urged "young and first-time voters to exercise their franchise."

Exit polls are expected to start coming in on Thursday evening, with the counting of votes to take place on Dec. 3.

In the five states, election authorities said, there are 679 assembly constituencies, which is around one-sixth of the total legislative assembly constituencies in the country, and 161 million eligible voters, including 6 million first-time voters.

The elections received significant attention in the country as they were held ahead of the 2024 general elections.