GUWAHATI, May 3: Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Jha on May 3 raised concerns over the reliability of exit polls predicting strong performances for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Assam and West Bengal, urging that conclusions be reserved until official results are declared.
Questioning the methodology and sample sizes used by polling agencies, Jha said it was difficult to accurately capture voter sentiment in what he described as an “intense political climate”. He pointed to the historical inaccuracies of exit polls and stressed the need to wait for the counting of votes.
His remarks come a day before counting begins for the Assam Assembly elections, where several exit polls have forecast a comfortable return for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government.
Echoing similar views, Congress MP Manickam Tagore dismissed exit poll projections as “commercialised” and called on the public to rely on the official verdict of voters rather than speculative forecasts.
Pollsters, including Axis My India, JVC and Matrize, have projected a majority for the BJP-led alliance in Assam, estimating between 85 and 101 seats in the 126-member Assembly.
Counting of votes for multiple states and union territories, including Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, is scheduled to take place on May 4, with results expected to shape the political landscape across regions.
