Elections In 5 States: Exit Polls Today
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2022-03-07 11:05:41
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Just a couple of hours from now, exit polls from five states will start coming in after two months of heavy duty electioneering and the subsequent voting. The people of UP, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur have exercised their franchise and their preferences are sealed in the EVMs, to be counted on March 10. But before that, the television media will have a field day today as the results of the exit polls will keep analysts and commentators busy.
Although exit polls have been known to go horrendously wrong on occasions and in fact have seldom given a true picture in closely fought elections, they are telecast with fanfare and many technical inputs and also watched keenly across India. This time, the battle in all the five states was hot and it is very difficult to predict the results one way or the other. Four states - Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa - are expected to return a hung assembly while UP is expected to vote for UP but its majority is likely to be reduced.
The exit polls are expected to reflect this widely held belief of all those who were closely following the campaign of various parties and watching the mood of the voters in these states. Analysts are of the opinion that while the AAP is the frontrunner in Punjab, it might still not get a majority. In Goa and Manipur, they feel that the ruling BJP is facing huge anti-incumbency but the opposition is divided and that will lead to hug assemblies. In Uttarakhand, the BJP was poised to win but frequent change of chief ministers and factional politics might peg it back. In UP, the massive crowds at SP rallies are making people think whether a change is in the offing but analysts believe that since the difference is huge, the SP might fall short and the BJP will romp home with a substantially reduced majority.
While the exit polls later in the day might give an indication about which way the wind blew during the voting process, it will be difficult to predict the outcome. The fate of the candidates and the parties will only be known on March 10 when the votes will be counted.
