Exit polls predict another term for Modi
| Date :20-May-2019 |
NEW DELHI;
MOST exit polls on Sunday forecast another term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with some of them projecting that BJP-led NDA will get more than 300 seats to comfortably cross the majority mark of 272 in the Lok Sabha. Exit polls were, however, divided in their prediction for the politically most crucial State of Uttar Pradesh with some like ABP-Nielsen saying that the BJP’s tally may fall to 22 from 71 while a few others like ‘New 18-Ipsos’ and ‘News 24-Chanakya’ tipping its tally over 60 seats. The BJP appeared to make major gains in eastern states of West Bengal and Odisha. Exit polls by ‘News 18-Ipsos’, ‘India Today-Axis’ and ‘News 24-Chanakya’ projected 336, 339-368 and 336-364 seats respectively for the NDA, with the BJP tipped to cross the majority on its own for another term after the 2014 polls. However, two exit polls -- one by ‘ABP News-Nielsen’ and another by ‘Neta-News X’ -- said the ruling alliance may fall short of a majority. ‘ABP News’ forecast 267 and ‘NewsX’ 242 seats for the ruling NDA. Elections to 542 seats of the 543-member Lok Sabha ended on Sunday.
The Election Commission has deferred election for Vellore in Tamil Nadu over allegations of misuse of money power. The counting of votes is slated for May 23. Some of the polls put the NDA’s vote share at more than 40 per cent, with ‘News18-Ipsos’ giving 49 per cent to the ruling alliance, which had garnered close to 39 per cent votes in 2014. ‘Times Now’ telecast two exit polls giving the NDA 296 and 306 seats, while projecting 126 and 132 for the Congress-led UPA. ‘News 18-Ipsos’, ‘India Today-Axis’ and ‘News 24-Chanakya’ have predicted 82, 77-108 and 86-104 seats for the Congress-led UPA, with the main Opposition party likely to improve on its all-time low of 44 seats but still set to fall to a poor second this time as well.
The ‘CVoter-Republic’ exit poll has forecast 287 and 128 seats for the NDA and UPA respectively. ‘ABP News-Nielsen’ and ‘Neta-NewsX’ predicted 127 and 164 seats respectively for the UPA. The ‘CNN News18-Ipsos’ projected only 46 seats for the Congress and 82 for its allies. In 2014, the NDA had won 336 seats and the Congress 44. The BJP had notched up its maiden majority by bagging 282 seats. Some exit polls predicted that the SP-BSP alliance is likely to trump the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP had won 71 and its ally Apna Dal two of its 80 seats in 2014. The ‘CVoter-Republic’ forecast gave the grand alliance in UP 40 seats against 38 for the NDA, while the ‘Jan Ki Baat’ said the NDA may win 46-57 seats against 15-29 of the SP-BSP combine.
‘ABP News’ predicted a huge loss for the BJP in the State, saying it may get only 22 seats while the Opposition alliance may emerge victorious in 56 constituencies. On West Bengal’s 42 seats, ‘CVoter-Republic’ and ‘ABP’ respectively gave 11 and 16 to the BJP, a big improvement on its tally of two in 2014. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee dismissed the exit polls as a “gossip” and a gameplan to “replace” EVMs. News channel ABP said the BJP may win nine seats in Odisha. It had won only one in 2014. An exit poll on ‘Zee TV’ gave the NDA 300 seats and the UPA 128, while ‘Others’ could get 114. Exit polls in the country have had mixed record on accuracy. However, Congress ally and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, said every single exit poll cannot be wrong.
“Time to switch off the TV, log out of social media & wait to see if the world is still spinning on its axis on the 23rd (May),” he tweeted. Some social media users pointed out that election results in Australia proved most psephologists and news polls wrong. BJP spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal said people have given their approval to the Modi Government’s work and asserted that the NDA will win more than 300 seats when votes are counted.
NDA PROJECTED TO WIN 34 SEATS IN MAH: ‘IANS-CVOTER’: THE BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is expected to win 34 Lok Sabha seats in the electorally important state of Maharashtra, the ‘IANS-CVOTER’ exit poll showed on Sunday. In 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA had won 42 Lok Sabha seats in the State. According to the ‘IANS-CVOTER’ exit poll, the NDA is likely to win 34 seats out of the 48 parliamentary constituencies in Maharashtra. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is projected to win 14 seats. It had won only 6 seats in 2014.