All Oppn eyes on UP, Bengal, Odisha figures

With most of the exit polls suggesting a comfortable majority for the BJP-led NDA, the Opposition is eagerly looking at what the numbers would be in Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal where the saffron party is predicted to be doing better than expected.

The exit polls have suggested that the BJP will have an impressive showing in West Bengal where one of the polls showed it winning up to 22 out of the 42 seats.

In Uttar Pradesh where the SP-BSP-RLD 'Mahagathbandhan' was speculated to be trouncing the BJP, some of the exit polls suggested otherwise saying the saffron party may not do badly and in best case scenario could win even 68 seats as per one poll.

While the Opposition leaders are not giving much credence to these polls, sources said they are eagerly waiting for the numbers from both these states. The Opposition leaders argue that the ground situation did not suggest such a performance by the BJP in both the states but they are keeping their fingers crossed.

Another state on Opposition's radar is Odisha where BJP again is predicted to do well in some of the polls.

"What will be the BJP numbers in these states is what we are looking at. We don't believe the exit poll numbers. But the numbers given for BJP in these states have made us eagerly looking at these states," a senior Opposition leader said. The Opposition leaders are also not in a mood to believe that Congress is reduced to one or two seats in states like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

A post-poll survey by CSDS has given 44% vote share for NDA in Uttar Pradesh while the Grand Alliance is predicted to get 41%. In West Bengal, the leader will be Trinamool Congress with 39% but the BJP is a close second with 37% and BJP with 42% vote share is ahead of BJD (40%) in Odisha.

Opposition leaders have already started efforts to build bridges with TRS, YSR Congress and BJD with NCP chief Sharad Pawar is learnt to have reached out to the top leaders of these three parties in the past couple of days.

Sources also said TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu was also in touch with an emissary of BJD chief Naveen Patnaik for the past more than a month. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath is also in touch with Patnaik. Besides Kamal Nath, Congress has also assigned Ahmed Patel, Ashok Gehlot and P Chidambaram to talk to other parties.