Vajpayee confident as exit polls predict majority for NDA

TV channels predicted NDA would win between 263 and 282 seats in the 545-seat LS, after exit polls from the third phase of elections.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said on Wednesday he was confident of victory as he cast his vote in the country's staggered election, with exit polls showing his coalition close to a majority in Parliament.

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Television stations predicted that the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies would win between 263 and 282 seats in the 545-seat Parliament, after exit polls from the third phase of the four-phase vote.

Wednesday's voting was concentrated in the northern heartland or "cow belt", a BJP stronghold. The final stage takes place on May 10, with results expected on May 13.

The 79-year-old Vajpayee asked for a strong mandate for a new five-year term as he voted in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, the nation's most populous and politically pivotal state.

Asked if his coalition would retain its majority, Vajpayee smiled and said: "Yes. I am confident."

Voters from seven states went to the polls on Wednesday, from the disputed mountains of Kashmir and the farmlands of Uttar Pradesh to the sweltering deserts of Rajasthan and the wild tribal regions of remote northeastern states. Voting ended at 5 pm.

Violence erupted in Jammu and Kashmir, where one person died and several were injured in a spate of grenade attacks, but voting elsewhere was largely peaceful.

This phase, with 83 seats at issue, was the last real chance for the BJP to cement its position in Parliament. It has little presence in the more than 180 seats in next week's final round, in which it will rely on regional allies.

Little Change

Exit polls from last week's second round showed the coalition struggling to win a majority, spooking financial markets. Investors fear a new government might move slowly on key economic reforms if forced to haggle with minor parties for support.

Star and Aaj Tak television stations did not change their projections significantly after the third round of voting, showing the BJP and allies at, or just below, a majority.

Congress and its allies were expected to win anywhere between 167 and 181 seats, well up from 140 in the last election.

It was a poll from NDTV, seen as one of the more reliable in an inexact field, that sent shivers through the markets last week when it predicted the BJP would win just 235 to 255 seats. NDTV is due to report its latest findings later on Wednesday.

"This is a replay of the 1999 election and it is not surprising," said Vinod Mehta, editor of Outlook magazine. "But there is a slight disappointment for the BJP because they were expecting to gain."

There is little doubt the BJP will emerge the largest party in the new parliament and the front runner to form the next government.

In Vajpayee's seat, turnout was just 20 per cent by 1 pm, less than the 26 per cent overall for Uttar Pradesh.

"I am voting for Atal the PM, not Atal the MP. The others are all crooks," said retired central bank worker PC Mehrotra.

Just one constituency went to the polls in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, and only a handful of voters turned out in many polling stations in Anantnag after separatists called for a boycott and terrorists staged several attacks.