AAP rejects exit polls for underestimating its performance i
AAP rejects exit polls for underestimating its performance in Delhi, BJP says hint at 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
Women voters at a polling station after casting
votes during the Delhi Assembly elections, at Jamia Nagar, Okhla seat, in New
Delhi, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (PTI Photo/Vijay Verma)
NEW DELHI — 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).
Women voters at a polling station after casting
votes during the Delhi Assembly elections, at Jamia Nagar, Okhla seat, in New
Delhi, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (PTI Photo/Vijay Verma)
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.
