All options open, says Meghalaya CM after exit polls

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma is likely to form a post-poll alliance, indicated exit polls conducted by a number of media houses.

IMAGE: Meghalaya Chief Minister and National People's Party (NPP) candidate from South Tura constituency Conrad K Sangma shows his ink-marked finger after casting his vote for the assembly elections, at a polling booth in Tura, West Garo Hills on Monday. Photograph: ANI Photo

The exit polls further pointed out that the northeastern state would have a hung house, with Sangma's National People's Party (NPP) emerging as the single-largest party.

Following this, Conrad Sangma said that he would keep all options to form a stable government.

"We will keep all our options open to form a stable government. We are happy to see the trend is in line as we expected to get more seats than we received last time," said Sangma.

To form a stable government, Sangma said, decision would taken considering the best interest of the state.

"When it comes to forming a stable government as and when the situation arrives we will move forward considering the best interest of the state," he said.

The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance would retain power in Nagaland, while the BJP has a clear edge over its rivals in Tripura, exit polls predicted as they forecast a close race in Meghalaya.

For the 60-member Nagaland assembly, India Today-Axis My India exit poll predicted that the NDPP-BJP alliance would get 38 to 48 seats.

It said the Congress is likely to win 1-2 seats, the Naga People's Front may win 3-8 seats and other parties could get 5-15 seats.

According to Zee-Matriz exit poll, the NDPP-BJP alliance could get 35-43 seats.

ETG-Times Now poll gave 27-33 seats to the NDPP, 12-16 seats to the BJP and 4-8 seats to the NPF.

In the 60-member Meghalaya assembly, Zee-Matrize exit poll predicted the NPP will get 21-26 seats, the Trinamool Congress 8-13 seats, the BJP 6-11 seats and the Congress 3-6 seats.

India Today-Axis My India exit poll for the state predicted the NPP getting 18-24 seats, Congress (6-12), the BJP (4-8), the United Democratic Party (8-12 seats) and the TMC (5-9) seats.

Times Now ETG exit poll predicted that the NPP will get 18-26 seats, the TMC 8-14 seats, the UDP 8-14 seats and the BJP 3-6 seats.

The counting of votes in all three states will take place on March 2.