Exit polls predict big win for BJP in Delhi

A majority of the agencies which conducted the exit polls for the Delhi Assembly elections have predicted a victory for the BJP, while two have given the Aam Aadmi Party an edge. All of them have forecast a dismal performance for the Congress like previous elections.

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While the BJP has exuded confidence that it will even surpass the seat tally predicted by the pollsters, AAP has rubbished the exit polls.

“We welcome the results of the exit polls but we will prove most of these wrong. On February 8, our victory will be more spectacular than what the exit polls have shown today,” Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said. Rubbishing the exit polls, AAP leader Somnath Bharti termed these “managed affairs”.

“In 2020, exactly the opposite of what the exit polls predicted had happened. The exit polls are not trustworthy. Let’s wait and see. Considering the wave that I have seen on the ground, it will be no surprise it AAP breaks its own record this time,” said Bharti.

The Matrize News Communications has predicted a close contest between AAP and the BJP. It has, however, given the BJP an edge of over three seats (from the majority mark). As per the agency, the BJP is likely to get a vote share of 46 per cent followed by AAP (44 per cent) and Congress (8 per cent).

Delhi has a 70-member Legislative Assembly. The majority mark is 36. In 2020, AAP had won 62 seats while the BJP had to settle with eight. The Congress had drawn a blank. Other survey agencies — JVC, Chanakya Strategies, People’s Insight and Poll Diary — have given a clear majority to the saffron party, predicting its comeback in the Capital after a long hiatus of 27 years. All of them have given at least 39 seats to the BJP. Consumer research platform P-Marq has predicted 39 to 49 seats for the BJP and 21 to 31 seats for AAP. For AAP, the good news has come from two poll survey agencies — WeePreside and Mind Brink — which have predicted that the ruling party will retain power in Delhi but with a slightly less number of seats than last time. According to WeePreside, AAP will win between 46 and 52 seats while the BJP will have to settle with 18 to 23 seats.

Mind Brink has predicted 44 to 49 seats for AAP and 21 to 25 seats for the BJP.

The Election Commission will announce the results after the counting of votes on February 8. Exit polls are projections made by election survey agencies based on interviews of voters as they come out after casting their vote. In the 2020 Delhi elections, most exit polls got their predictions wrong.