NDTV Correspondent Wednesday, May 5, 2004 (New Delhi):

India has completed voting in the third phase of the General elections 2004. The third phase was the smallest in terms of seats with just 83 of them, but it is a crucial phase with big deciding states polling. 

The NDTV-Indian Express Exit Poll has pointed to a virtual sweep for the BJP in this phase with as many as 55 seats out of the 83. 

The Congress and its allies are projected to be way behind at 15 seats and others at 13. The ruling coalition is projected to have improved its previous Lok Sabha tally by 14 seats, the Congress losing five seats and others 9 in this round of polls. 

The overall projection is that the NDA may have bounced back in this phase from the somewhat lacklustre performance on the first two days of polling, but is still just about inching close to majority.

According to the exit poll, the national projection for the Lok Sabha is that the BJP is expected to get between 245- 265 seats, just short of the magic half way mark of 272 while the Congress is projected to get between 185-205 seats. 

And in Uttar Pradesh, the state that could be the deciding factor in case of a hung Parliament, the exit poll indicates that the BJP and its allies will get 31 out of 80 seats. The Samajwadi Party will get 22 seats, the BSP 16 seats and the Congress 10 seats.

Tracking Congress and BJP performance since March 15 - the first day of polling, the NDTV-Indian Express opinion poll shows the huge initial gap between the BJP and the Congress narrowing down - BJP's seats going down and Congress seats increasing and finally levelling out in phase three.

Source: NDTV.com