New Delhi: The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is likely to slip from its improved position given by the exit poll of the penultimate phase of Lok Sabha polls and move further away from the majority mark, an opinion poll by NDTV ahead of the final phase of elections said tonight (May 07, 2004).

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The national projection by the opinion poll gave NDA 240-260 seats, scaling down its exit poll after the previous round of polling which had given the alliance 245-265 seats.

The survey showed Congress and allies moving further ahead with 190-210 seats as against the figure of 185-205 given by the NDTV's exit poll projections on May 5 after the previous phase of polling.

The NDTV opinion poll gives 90-110 seats to others after the final phase, the same as projected by the channel's exit polls on May 5.

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The opinion poll shows the BJP-led alliance and Congress and allies finishing almost at par--67 and 68 seats respectively as far as their share of 182 seats up for grab in the final phase of polling is concerned.

The survey shows BJP making marginal gains in the final phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh by securing 9 of the 18 seats, a gain of two over 1999, and Congress suffering major reverse getting just two seats, a loss of four from the previous elections.

It gives four seats to Samajwadi Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alliance and three to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

In the overall scenario in UP, the NDTV opinion poll projects BJP finishing on top with 31 seats, followed by SP with 21, BSP with 17 and Congress with ten, one less than in 1999.

According to the opinion poll, ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala is likely to finish with 14 out of a total of 20 seats, a gain of three over 1999, whereas others (apparent reference to Left Democratic Front) will get six seats, a decline of three.

In a re-run of the 1999 election scene, the ruling Left Front in West Bengal is likely to bag 29 of the total of 42 seats while Trinamool Congress-BJP alliance will get ten and Congress just three.

It shows BJP suffering a sharp fall in BJP's tally in Delhi from all the seven seats in 1999 to just three this time while Congress will win four.

In Madhya Pradesh, the saffron surge remains even in the 17 of the total of 29 seats in the final phase of polling, according to the opinion poll.

The BJP is likely to get 15 of those 17 seats, a gain of three over 1999, and Congress will secure two seats, a loss of three, says the poll.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led alliance which has Congress in it would get 30 of the 39 seats with All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)-BJP combine finishing a poor second with just nine, it says. For DMK and allies, it represents a gain of 17 seats and a decline of 17 for the rival alliance, the NDTV poll adds.

The Congress is shown by the opinion poll as making major gains in Haryana, which has a total of ten seats, winning six seats as against zero in the 1999 elections while BJP and ally (although the alliance between saffron party and INLD (Indian National Lok Dal) has broken are to secure just two seats.

But in neighbouring Punjab, ruling Congress is in for defeat with the opinion poll giving it just two out of the total of 13 seats and ten to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP alliance.