5 states brace for results tomorrow,some relaxed,others get a case of nerves

The entire process,which would decide the fate of several political leaders,would be videographed to prevent any malpractice. According to Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi,the poll outcome is expected by “early lunch”.

The counting would take place in 142 counting halls in Assam,140 in Kerala,11 in Puducherry,234 in Tamil Nadu and 312 in West Bengal. While Kerala has an assembly strength of 140,Assam has 126,Tamil Nadu 234,Puducherry 30 and West Bengal 294.

A total of 14.16 crore voters exercised their franchise in the five states which was 20 per cent of the total 72.8 crore electorate in the country with Tamil Nadu and West Bengal registering “all time record turnouts”.

Stakes are high in West Bengal where post poll surveys predict that Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress is expected to oust the CPI(M)-led Left Front which is ruling the state for 34 years.

CPI(M) is hopeful that like many previous occasions it would prove its detractors wrong and romp home for the eighth term.

In view of the political clashes witnessed in the state in the run up to the elections,the Central forces will stay in the state till May 23 to tackle the post-poll situation as per the EC directive.

The surveys also gave a close finish in Tamil Nadu where the two Dravidian parties,DMK and AIADMK vied with each other to woo voters.

For AIADMK’s Jayalalithaa it will be a battle to return to power after a hiatus of five years. DMK,which suffered setbacks on account of 2G spectrum scam and corruption involving the first family members,is seeking a second successive term.

In Kerala,the surveys gave a mixed picture with one predicting an upper hand for the ruling Left Front.

In Assam,surveys foresee that the ruling Congress would retain power.

The counting of votes for the high-profile by-election to Kadapa Lok Sabha in Andhra Pradesh will also be taken up tomorrow,which will determine the political future of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy,son of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.

For Jagan,it was a fight to establish his political credentials after he floated his own political party YSR Congress.

For the Congress,its prestige is at stake in Kadapa as the Lok Sabha seat always remained in its kitty,thanks to YSR.

Jagan’s mother Vijayalakshmi also contested the Pulivendula Assembly seat.

In Bengal meanwhile,the Left don’t believe there is any writing on the wall – yet.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose exuded confidence his alliance would emerge victorious with a comfortable margin,dismissing predictions of a landslide win for Trinamool Congress-Congress combine by most post-poll surveys.

“When the EVMs will be opened tomorrow,it will be found that the Left Front has won by a very good margin,” Bose told a press conference after a Left Front meeting.

Claiming the ‘exit polls and opinion polls by media houses are just a waste of money’,a very confident Bose said,”The Left Front has decided to hold a press conference tomorrow at 4.30 pm after the counting is over.”

Asked what could be the possible tally of the Front,which has seen reverses since the 2008 panchayat polls,he claimed it could be around the 2001 figure when the Front had won 199 constituencies out of 294 seats.

Asked about the source of his confidence despite most surveys predicting a landslide win for Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress-Congress combine,he said,”We work with the people and among the people. They give us confidence. We will form the eighth Left Front government.”

Well,good luck to that!

In Kerala,an air of anxiety pervaded the ruling LDF and opposition UDF camps with the political profile of the state for the next five years to be decided when counting of votes is taken up tomorrow.

Never before have voters and candidates in Kerala had to wait for such a long time to know the outcome after exercising their franchise.

Elections for the 140 member Assembly were held on April 13,in what was one of the most bitterly fought elections in the state’s history.

Most exit polls have forecast that UDF has a slight edge,but the gap between the two fronts would be narrow this time.

The surveys have also indicated it would be a close call,adding to the anxiety in the two camps.

Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan,however,appeared unperturbed by the surveys.

“Wait till May 13 when counting begins,” was all that he said,seeking to steer clear of poll surveys and exit polls.

Achuthanandan,however,seemed to draw comfort from the fact that all surveys had shown that a majority of voters acknowledged the ‘good things’ done by the LDF government in the last five years.

“About 65 per cent of respondents to all the surveys said the government had performed quite well. This is something that gives satisfaction. The rest we will see on May 13 when the results will be declared,” the 87-year-old leader had said.

In the initial stages,the UDF seemed to have had an edge,but the veteran Marxist leader’s aggressive campaigning has injected hopes of victory in the LDF camp.

As in the past,the battle of the ballot this time too is between the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and the Opposition Congress-headed UDF,which have been alternating in power since 1982.

Will Kerala live up to its penchant for change every alternate five years by giving the mandate to Congress-led UDF or will the CPI(M)-headed LDF under Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan buck the trend by securing a second term ? This is the question dominating the state as the countdown for counting began.

LDF swept the polls in 2006 grabbing 98 seats in the 140 member House,which was almost the reverse of the 2001 tally.

The voter turnout this time was higher at 75.12 per cent from 72.38 per cent in 2001.

In Tamil Nadu,with mixed predictions by exit polls and pre-poll surveys,the ruling DMK and arch rival AIADMK are keeping their fingers crossed on what is in store for them tomorrow when counting of votes for the April 13 assembly elections will be taken up.

The huge turnout in the elections has puzzled leaders of DMK and AIADMK fronts,with each interpreting it as a trend in their favour.

The DMK leadership,emboldened by an exit poll by a channel and a Tamil weekly,is certain that they will head the state’s first-ever coalition government,while the AIADMK maintains the party will gain an absolute majority to form a ministry on its own in the state.

Both DMK president M Karunanidhi and AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa are understood to have finalised their teams in case they are voted to power.

DMK sources said their leader would have a small team sworn in,which would be expanded later. AIADMK sources claimed Jayalalithaa would form the ministry in one go as she was hopeful of securing an absolute majority for her party.

The exit polls have left both camps bemused as their calculations have been upset.

The confidence expressed by Congress leader K V Thangkabalu and PMK founder S Ramadoss on two separate occasions after the polls helped create a feel-good factor among DMK cadres,until surveys by TV channels doused it.

While AIADMK has only the election results to worry about,the ruling alliance is pondering over other major issues that loom large in the backdrop of 2G investigations by the CBI.

The DMK has witnessed one of its Union ministers A Raja imprisoned,MP Kanimozhi and an associate TV company being questioned by the CBI and also its key ally Congress bargain hard for more seats — all in the last couple of months,leaving it shaky.

On the other hand,after having successfully struck an alliance with preferred parties and the lion’s share in the number of seats,the AIADMK leadership is now keen on not letting anything go wrong in the counting.

In Puducherry,elaborate security arrgangements have been put in place ahead of the

counting tomorrrow.

This is a crucial election for the ruling Congress as it is facing the challenge from the AINRC floated by former Chief Minister Rangasamy.

A total of 187 candidates,including 79 Independents,await with bated breath the outcome of the polls.

Prominent candidates are Chief Minister V Vaithilingam and all his five ministerial colleagues,Speaker R Radhakrishnan (all Congress),former Chief Ministers N.Rangasamy (All India NR Congress) and R V Janakiraman (DMK).

The Union Territory has 30 seats.

Rangasamy was unseated from the office of Chief Minister in August 2008 when all his erstwhile ministerial colleagues raised a banner of revolt against him.

Vaithilingam,who was PWD Minister in the Rangasamy-led Congress government,succeeded him.

The Congress-DMK alliance had assured voters that if given a renewed mandate,the alliance would ensure growth and development of Puducherry,while the AINRC-AIADMK front promised the electorate that if elected to power it would provide a ‘clean,transparent and fair governance’.