New Delhi: Exit polls conducted by major television networks have placed NDA (National Democratic Alliance) ahead of Congress and its allies in the 140 constituencies that went to polls in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections held today (Apr 20, 2004).

While 'Aaj Tak' put NDA on the top with 93 seats, seven more than in the last elections, 'Star News' projected that the BJP-led combine would get 80 seats.

Congress and its allies were projected to get 53 by 'Star News' and 44 by 'Aaj Tak', while the two channels gave "Others" three and seven respectively.

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Political Parties in India

The Zee-Taleem survey showed NDA getting between 63 and 78 seats and the Congress and its allies between 37 and 50 seats. It gave up to 16 seats to "Others".

The DRS-Sahara exit poll showed the saffron-led combine getting 82 seats, six less than in 1999, while the Congress getting 55 - nine more than last time and "Others" getting 3.

Based on the assumption that similar polling trends would continue in the remaining phases of elections, the 'Aaj Tak' gave "early seat projections" for all the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, predicting 288 for NDA, 159 for Congress and allies and 96 for "Others".

'Aaj Tak', which made its predictions on the basis of interviews of 31,108 electors spread over 16 States and UTs (Union Territories), said that both NDA and Congress and allies would improve their vote share by four per cent each while other parties would lose four per cent.

According to it, NDA would get 49 per cent in the first phase, Congress and allies 44 per cent and other parties seven per cent.