New Delhi: A comparison of the exit polls projections by various pollsters and the results of Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections today (May 11, 2004) shows that they have got the trends right this time, but in terms of seat projections nobody predicted the kind of windfall the Congress-Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) combine has reaped.

The results show Congress alliance getting a three-fourth majority in the 294-member House, with 226 seats whereas none of the exit polls said it would get more than 205 seats.

Elections 2004-Where is India heading...
Political Parties in India

The Congress has got an absolute majority on its own with 185 seats only seven less than the 192, which Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) commanded in the dissolved House. TDP had 180 seats last time.

The best for Congress-led alliance was predicted by the NDTV AC Neilson poll, which projected Congress-TRS getting between 180 and 205 seats, Chandrababu Naidu's TDP-BJP alliance getting 80-105 seats and others 5-10.

Results show the TDP-BJP trailing at 49, a colossal loss of 143 seats.

Exit polls by Zee and Star, were way off the mark in terms of seats. The former projected 148 seats for the Congress combine and 123 for the TDP-BJP alliance, while Star exit poll predicted 143-156 seats for the Congress and 119-133 seats for the TDP combine.

This shows that polls are becoming increasingly difficult in terms of seat projections, said psephologist GVL Narasimha Rao of DRS, adding that there is still need to refine the methods and analyse the voters mind more closely.