The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance could win as many as seven Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu – a state in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party has struggled in recent centre and state elections – exit polls said Saturday evening, after voting finished for the seventh and final phase.

The most optimistic prediction for the BJP’s coalition comes from India TV-CNX – which gives it between five and seven seats. The India Today-Axis My India exit poll predicts two to four seats.

The Jan Ki Baat exit poll gives the alliance five seats.

A health warning: Exit polls often get it wrong.

Three other exit polls – ABP News-C Voter, India News-D Dynamic, and TV9 Bharatvarsh-Polstrat – also have the NDA winning at least one seat in the state.

It is important to note the exit polls give seats to the NDA and not the BJP.

After its high-profile split with the AIADMK, the BJP allied with nine regional Tamil parties.

The national party has contested 23 of the state’s 39 seats, leaving 10 to the Pattali Makkal Katchi and three to the Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar). The rest were shared between a splinter group of ex-ally AIADMK and the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam led by TTV Dhinakaran

The results – a big boost for the party’s profile in the south – follow extensive campaigning by Mr Modi in Tamil Nadu in particular; the Prime Minister made nearly a dozen visits to the state since the election dates were announced, with roadshows in Chennai on the agenda. The focus, though, was on the Coimbatore region, in which the BJP has had some sway since the serial blasts of 1998.

Across the fence the Congress-led INDIA bloc, which counts the state’s ruling DMK as a member, is predicted to win the majority of the seats, with the lowest return of 28 from India News-D Dynamics.

ABP News-C Voter has given INDIA 37-39 seats and India Today-Axis My India has given it 33 to 37.

India TV-CNX expects the INDIA bloc to get 22-26 seats. Jan Ki Baat expects INDIA to get 34-38 and TV9 Bharatvarsh-Polstrat has given it 35.

The AIADMK, contesting on its, own, is expected to continue to struggle for relevance after thumping defeats to the DMK-Congress alliance in recent elections. The best news for the AIADMK comes from India News-D Dynamics, which expects it to win five seats, while the India Today-Axis My India and India TV-CNX exit polls give it between one and two seats.