MIXED POLL PREDICTIONS AFTER FINAL ELECTION ROUND; VIOLENCE CONTINUES

The final phase of elections was completed last weekend with no certainty as to which party would emerge as the winner. Polling was held in 118 constituencies in 10 states with 56% of the voters casting their franchise.

More than 30 people were killed in the north eastern states of India as militants struck in Manipur, Tripura and Assam in an attempt to disrupt voting. Various exit polls predicted varying results. While DD said that the BJP-led alliance would get 287 seats, Star TV predicted that it would get between 295 and 305 seats. A third exit poll conducted by newspaper group Lokmat gave the BJP-led alliance only 242 seats. The Congress-led alliance's seat position predicted by the three polls is as follows: 174 seats, between 145 and 155 seats and 227 respectively.

The counting of votes will commence later this week. Hopefully by end next week, the country will have a government in place.