As the exit poll results predicted Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to retain power giving it 45-50 seats while the BJP is expected to get 14 seats – up from three in 2015. The BJP on Saturday dismissed the exit polls.
Home Minister Amit Shah called a meeting of the BJP MPs and senior Delhi BJP members yesterday. Party MP Meenakshi Lekhi after attending the meeting called the exit polls not “exact”.
Lekhi told reporters, “Exit polls don’t have their math right. Also, the data is collected only till 4 or 5 pm… exit polls have got it wrong before as well.”
The readings of the survey agencies that conducted the exit polls:
Sudarshan News is predicting 41-45 seats for AAP, 24-28 seats for the BJP/NDA, and 1-2 seats for Congress
Times Now- Ipsos has predicted 47 seats AAP, 23 seats for the BJP/NDA, and 0 for Congress
ABP News-C Voter is giving 49-63 seats to the AAP, 5-19 seats to the BJP/NDA, and 0-4 to Congress
TV9 Bharatvarsh – Cicero has predicted 54 seats for AAP, 15 seats for the BJP/NDA, and 1 seat for Congress
Republic TV- Jan Ki Baat is giving 48-61 seats to AAP, 9-21 seats to the BJP/NDA, and 0-1 seat to Congress
India News-Neta is giving 53-57 seats to AAP, 11-17 seats to the BJP/NDA, and 0-2 seats to Congress
With the BJP making Shaheen Bagh- the iconic anti -Citizenship Amendment Act protest site the main poll issue, and former party president Amit Shah campaigning door to door and rest of BJP leaders like Anuraag Thakur and Pravesh Verma making vitriolic remarks on the issue, seems to have not cut much ice with the Delhi voters (according to the polls). Shaheen Bagh where the protesters are sitting since December 15 demanding the Central government to withdraw the law.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi too campaigned in the Capital, while the BJP roped in 70 union ministers, 270 MPs and Chief Ministers from other states. The party’s 40 star campaigners too campaigned for the party vigorously.
Yesterday, the Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari took to Twitter and said (in Hindi) that, BJP will form the government and no one should “blame the EVMs”.
“All these exit polls will fail. Please save this tweet from me. The BJP will form government in the city with 48 seats. Please do not look for excuses and blame the EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines),” he said in the tweet.