Punjab election results 2022: Result timings, voting percentage, opinion and exit polls

The much-awaited election results are a day away and the focus is currently on the five state assemblies that underwent voting in February-March. Amidst the five, the Punjab election results are under the spotlight as a change in Government is expected with P-Marq Exit Polls projecting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to win in the state. According to the guidelines by the Election Commission of India, the counting of votes will begin from 8 am onwards and we will get the early trends within a few minutes of counting. 

The P-Marq Exit Poll has predicted AAP to bag 62-70 seats while INC is to win 23-31 seats. The SAD and the BJP are projected to win 16-24 seats and 1-3 seats respectively. Also, others are projected to win 1-3 seats, in the 117 member assembly of Punjab. The single-phase Punjab Assembly Elections concluded on February 20 with a voter turnout of 71.95%.

Punjab elections 2022: Reports of jumping ship

In what can be called a 'twist' ahead of the Punjab election results, 12 Congress and 2 AAP candidates attended Captain Amarinder Singh's dinner party at his farmhouse in Siswan on Tuesday. He was seen crooning on the occasion to celebrate his birthday which falls on Friday, March 11. The presence of the Congress leaders assumes significance as exit polls have predicted a disastrous poll performance for the party.

As per sources, this is an indication that many leaders of the Sonia Gandhi-led party switch allegiance to other parties soon after the results. For this Assembly election, Singh's Punjab Lok Congress formed an alliance with BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt). Speculation is rife that SAD might join hands with this three-party alliance to form the government in Punjab in case AAP does not get a sufficient number of seats. 

As per Punjab exit polls 2022 results, Congress is expected to face a major setback with P-MARQ projecting only 23-31 seats for the ruling party in the 117-member Punjab Assembly. Moreover, the exit poll predicts that the SAD-BSP tie-up has failed to enthuse the voters and might bag 16-24 seats. On the other hand, AAP is likely to win 35.6% of seats.