Exit Polls: Popularity Going Down, But BJP Holds Its Own
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By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2022-03-08 01:47:45
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The India Commentary view
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Although exit polls are known to get it wrong many times, since India now has nearly a dozen pollsters who carry out the exercise, a general trend can be deciphered from the predictions made by them. The exit polls for the 2022 'mini elections' in five states show that although the BJP is facing a reduction in popularity in most states, it is still managing to hold its own mainly due to the woeful state of the opposition and the strength of its election machinery.
The polls predict that the BJP will retain power in Uttar Pradesh but there will be a big reduction in seats. The Samajwadi Party (SP) will be the big gainer in the state but, as the polls show, it could not make the final push to unseat the Yogi Adityanath government. If he manages to retain power in UP, Yogi Adityanath's stature will grow manifold in the party. The Congress has been further decimated in the state and the BSP has been left by the wayside. Both the BJP and the SP have gained votes at their expense.
AAP is poised to get a landslide win in Punjab, laying to rest the fears about a hung assembly. The Congress seems to have lost the confidence of the people due to the infighting in the state unit and the rebellious attitude of Navjot Singh Sidhu. The farmers unions, who floated the Samyukta Samaj Morcha for their political debut, have also failed to make an impact proving that people's movements do not always translate into political support.
Elsewhere, in Uttarakhand and Goa, the polls say the contest is too close to call with both the Congress and the BJP equally placed in a hung assembly. In Goa, it will once again lead to a situation like the one in 2017 when small regional players, and this time even the Trinamool Congress, might emerge as kingmakers. In Manipur, the BJP is likely to form the government as the Congress has fallen way behind.
lead picture courtesy: ndtv.com
