UP exit poll: Voters mesmerised by Modi, BJP likely to cross magic number

Uttar Pradesh exit poll by Times Now-VMR indicates Modi may emerge as the 'Shah' of UP as the voter sentiment is still in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP is likely to win 190 to 210 seats, SP-Congress 110 to 130 and BSP 57 to 74 seats, according to the exit poll.

The BJP has cornered 33.5% vote share while its closest rival Samajwadi Party(SP)-Congress alliance has got just 27%. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has got 14.65% vote share.

Uttar Pradesh, the most important of the five states that went to polls, going to the BJP means Prime Minister Narendra Modi has retained huge popular support even though demonetisation was seen to be denting his popularity.

Since PM Modi himself spearheaded the party campaign in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP victory will put a final stamp on the popularity of PM Modi and the approval of his policies—especially demonetisation—by the masses. The image boost will launch a massive wind in his favour for the next Lok Sabha elections.

PM Modi will be able to increase the number of BJP MPs in the Rajya Sabha where his party is in minority and faces hurdles in passing legislations. A majority in Rajya Sabha wil ..

Amit Shah's much talked-about caste engineering in which the BJP countered an alliance of non-Yadav OBCs and non-Jatav Dalits against Samajwadi Party's Yadav vote bank and Bahujan Samajwadi Party's Jatav vote bank has seemed to have worked.