Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and its allies failed to secure an outright majority in the country's second general election this year as exit polls suggested a tight contest, media reports said.
The right-wing Likud party is projected to win 31 to 33 seats in Israel's 120-member legislative body, the Knesset, according to BBC News, citing exit polls from Israeli news channels. The Likud party and its allies were forecast to obtain 56 seats, Politico reported, citing Israel's Channel 11, while an exit poll by Channel 13 showed that the bloc was set to win 54 seats.
Meanwhile, the Blue and White alliance led by former military chief Benny Gantz was seen clinching 32 to 34 seats, BBC News said.
Preliminary results are expected to be released in the morning of Sept. 18, BBC News said, noting that negotiations on a potential coalition government could immediately follow.
The parliament called for the snap vote in May after Netanyahu, who faces possible indictment in three separate corruption cases, failed to form a coalition government following the first election in April.
