India, Oct. 22 -- The BJP appears to be set to retain power with a bigger mandate in Maharashtra, where it is in an alliance with the Shiv Sena, as well as in Haryana, as exit polls have forecast a facile victory for the party in the two states and a rout for its rivals, led by the Congress.
Exit polls, broadcast soon after polling for the Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly polls was concluded on Monday, varied widely in their projection of seats for the rival alliances, but were in no doubt about an emphatic victory with more than two-thirds seats for the BJP-led NDA in both the states.
The India Today-Axis exit poll projected 166-194 seats for the BJP-Shiv Sena in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly and 72-90 for the Congress-NCP alliance...