NEW DELHI. Apr 3: India will end up with a hung parliament from staggered general elections beginning this month, according to a poll published today, reports AFP.

The Congress (I) Party of Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao will win only 191 seats and will not get a majority In the 545-member Lok Sabha. the lowest house of parliament. the survey of voters by Outlook Magazine found.

The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, Indian People s Party) will improve its previous performance and finish with 170 seats, according to the ’poll last month of 15.450 voters in 15 of In-dias-25 states.

But the BJP would fall short of its aim of sweeping 250 seats.

A centrist-leftist coalition which is presenting itself as the "third force" will bag 139 seats while the remainder would go to smaller parties.

The "opinion poll suggests strongly that the fears ... of a hung (parliament) and stability of the next government are not entirely unfounded." .Outlook said.

An estimated 600 million voters are eligible to vote in the April-May ballot.

Twenty-nine per cent of those' polls Said Rao. the

Congress president, was the best bet for the prime ministership. followed closely by BJP leader Atal Behari Vaj payee.

The magazine's findings mirrored the predictions of most pundits who have warned •that thfe world's largest democracy was heading for a fractured house for the third time in succession since 1989.