Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would emerge victorious in Madhya Pradesh that recently went to elections. While the counting will take place on December 11, several exit polls have given the Congress an edge in the state.

Speaking to reporters in Umaria, the MP Chief Minister, who is eyeing a second 5-year-term after completing 13 years in power this November, commented on the exit poll results released on Friday.

“There cannot be a surveyor bigger than me, someone who is among the people day in and day out. Therefore I am saying this confidently that BJP will form the government,” Chouhan asserted.

“This is important for people, poor, farmers, children and women,” he added stressing that there cannot be a better bet for the people of his state than the BJP.

According to a majority of the exit polls, the Congress will have the upper hand in the state.

According to India Today-Axis poll, the Congress might win 104-122 seats in the 230-seat assembly thus narrowly surpassing the majority mark of 116. The BJP was given 102-120 seats and others could end up with 4-11 seats.

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Similarly CSDS-ABP exit poll suggested that the BJP might end up with 94 seats as against 126 of the Congress and 10 of others.

BJP might get 90-106 seats, according to CVoter-Republic TV, and the Congress between 110 and 126 seats, which would mean a clear victory for the party led by Rahul Gandhi.

In the exit poll conducted by NewsX-Neta, the Congress got higher seats than the BJP but four short of the majority mark. The poll predicted that the Congress might win 114 seats, the BJP might get 106 with 12 seats going to others.

Times Now-CNX, on the other hand, predicted a thumping BJP victory in MP with 126 seats as against 89 of Congress. Republic-Jan Ki Baat exit poll, too, gave the BJP an edge with 108-128 seats over Congress’ 95-115, with seven seats going to others.

India TV gave the BJP 122-130 seats and 86-92 to Congress with 12-18 seats to others.

An average of opinion polls done before 9 November 2018 had predicted that the BJP will end up as the single largest party with 113 seats but without a majority. The exit polls clearly indicated that the BJP’s strength in the state is much weaker than in the last elections when it won 166 seats.

The BJP has been in power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003.