Thu Nov 21 17:15:50 UTC 2024: ## Conflicting Exit Polls Predict Tight Races in Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly Elections

**New Delhi, November 20, 2024** – Conflicting exit polls released Wednesday paint a mixed picture of the results for the Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections. While some predict a victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliances in both states, others forecast a closer contest, particularly in Maharashtra.

In Maharashtra, exit polls offer wildly diverging predictions. Several polls, including Matrize and Chanakya Strategies, project a comfortable win for the ruling Mahayuti alliance (BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP), predicting anywhere from 150 to 170 seats. However, other polls, such as Electoral Edge and Lokpoll, suggest a win for the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, with seat projections ranging from 150 to 162. The majority mark in the 288-member assembly is 145.

The discrepancy is equally pronounced in Jharkhand, where the results are projected to be much closer. Some polls predict a landslide victory for Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s INDIA alliance, while others forecast a narrow win for the BJP-led NDA. The majority mark in the 81-member assembly is 41.

The Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, issued a warning about the reliability of exit polls, citing their tendency to create unrealistic expectations and urging self-reflection from pollsters and media outlets.

The actual results will be announced on November 23, following the counting of votes cast in the single-phase Maharashtra election and the two phases of Jharkhand voting. The varied predictions leave voters and political analysts alike in suspense, awaiting the final outcome.

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