Wednesday, February 16 2005 16:39 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Exit polls by two television news channels on the second phase of polling in Assembly elections in Bihar and Jharkhand yesterday (Feb 15, 2005) came out with different projections with Zee News giving clear majority to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-Congress- Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) alliance in the two States and Star News forecasting a hung House.

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) is likely to emerge either as a key player in Government-formation in Bihar or providing stability to it.

RJD was shown by both the channels as suffering substantial losses in terms of seats in Bihar but while Zee gave ruling RJD-Congress coalition a slender majority.

While Zee News gave RJD-Congress combine 122 seats, the magic figure in the 243-member Assembly, Star News projected the alliance securing 100 seats.

According to Zee, RJD is likely to get 76 seats and Congress 46. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies are poised to bag 76 seats and others including LJP 41. It did not specify how many seats LJP would get.

Star News exit poll shows RJD getting 91 seats and Congress just nine. The BJP and allies were projected as getting 90 seats, LJP 29 and others 20.

Both the projections were for 239 seats as polling has been postponed in four constituencies due to certain irregularities.

In the second phase of polling yesterday in 82 constituencies, Zee News pegged RJD at 31 and Congress at 13, giving 28 seats to BJP and 10 to others.

Star News said RJD was likely to get 21 seats and Congress 6. It gave BJP 33 seats, LJP 9 and others 13.

In Jharkhand, having an 81-member House, Zee News predicted 38 seats to JMM-Congress and 4 to RJD, 34 to BJP and 5 to others.

Star News, however, gave 39 seats to JMM-Congress-RJD, 36 to BJP and six to others.

In yesterday's polling in 29 constituencies, Zee gave Congress 9 seats, 18 to BJP and 2 to others.