Exit polls will start at 5 pm this evening

Exit polls generally point at good election results

However, they are not infallible

Exit polls have long been a subject of scrutiny in Indian politics, often failing to accurately predict election outcomes. The 2004 Lok Sabha elections marked a significant instance of this phenomenon when the BJP-led NDA, buoyed by exit poll projections, called for early elections with the slogan “India Shining.” However, the actual results painted a different picture, with the NDA securing only 187 seats, contrary to the anticipated majority.

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Similar discrepancies were observed in subsequent elections, including the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, where exit polls underestimated the BJP-led NDA’s victory. Despite projections falling short of a majority, the NDA clinched a decisive 336 seats, with the BJP alone crossing the majority mark.

The 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections further underscored the fallibility of exit polls when predictions of a hung assembly were proven wrong by the BJP’s overwhelming victory, securing 325 seats.

In the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections and the Delhi Assembly elections of the same year, exit polls failed to capture the extent of the winning parties’ landslide victories, highlighting the unpredictable nature of electoral outcomes.

As the nation eagerly awaits the results of the current elections, these historical examples serve as a reminder that while exit polls stimulate debate and speculation, they often miss the mark when it comes to accurately forecasting election results.