The AAP rejected the exit poll results for the Delhi Assembly election on Wednesday, saying the pollsters have “historically” underestimated its performance, while the BJP termed the predictions an assertion of people’s urge for change.
As voting for the 70-member Delhi Assembly concluded at 6 pm on Wednesday, most exit polls predicted an edge to the BJP over the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
AAP’s national spokesperson Reena Gupta told PTI that exit polls have historically underestimated the Arvind Kejriwal-led party but in actual results, the party gains several times more than these projections.
“You look at any exit poll — whether in 2013, 2015 or 2020 — the AAP was always shown getting a smaller number of seats. But it got a greater number of seats in the actual results,” Gupta said.
She claimed that the people of Delhi have voted for the AAP in large numbers and asserted that the party is going to register a “historic” victory, with Kejriwal becoming the chief minister for a fourth time.
The poll results are scheduled to be declared on Saturday.
Exit polls are projections made by election-survey agencies, based on interviews of voters as they come out of polling booths after casting their votes. These may vary widely from the actual results.
According to the Matrize exit poll, the BJP-led NDA may get 35-40 seats, while the AAP is projected to get 32 to 37 seats. The survey has given Congress zero to one seat.
The People’s Pulse exit poll has said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is likely to get 51 to 60 seats, while the AAP may get 10 to 19 seats. The Congress, it has claimed, will not be able to open its account.
According to the People’s Insight exit poll, the NDA is likely to get 40 to 44 seats, the AAP 25 to 29 seats and the Congress zero to one seat.
The P-Marq exit poll has predicted 39 to 49 seats for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies, 21 to 31 seats for the AAP and zero to one seat for the Congress.
The JVC exit poll has said the BJP and its allies would get 39 to 45 seats, the AAP 22 to 31 seats and the Congress zero to two seats.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the party respects the exit poll predictions. “I believe the people of Delhi made up their minds long ago that they wanted change,” he added.
Delhiites want a corruption-free government. BJP workers campaigned with great dedication in the run-up to the election to fight against corruption in the city, Sachdeva said.
He exuded confidence that the AAP is on its way out of power and that the saffron party is going to form its government in Delhi after a gap of more than 25 years.