NEW DELHI, Feb 5: A poll of seven exit polls predicted 42-49 seats for the BJP in the Assembly election to end its 27-year jinx, signalling an end of Arvind Kejriwal’s winning streak in Delhi after three back-to-back victories. The final results will be declared on February 8.
The poll of election experts gave 20-28 seats to the Arvind Kejriwal-led ruling party, marking the end of the winning streak for the outfit which emerged victorious in three straight elections since 2013. A defeat for the AAP might also raise questions over the future of the political party which emerged from an anti-corruption movement in 2011.
The majority mark in the 70-member Assembly is 36. In 2020, the AAP won 62 out of 70 seats with a vote share of 53.57 per cent. The BJP won eight seats with a 38.51 per cent vote share. The Congress got 4.26 per cent of votes and others polled 3.66 per cent votes. In 2015, the AAP won 67 seats, getting 54.6 per cent vote share.
Pollsters claimed that the race to distribute freebies was won by the BJP in this election and the mega increase in income tax exemption relief from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 12 lakh tilted the balance in favour of the party which was led from the front by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
An exit poll by People’s Pulse projected a sweep by the BJP with 51-60 votes while an exit poll by Matrize projected a tough fight with 35-40 seats for the BJP and 32-37 seats for the AAP. However, Mind Brink predicted 44-49 seats for the AAP giving 15-21 to the BJP and one seat to the Congress.
An exit poll by JVC gave the BJP 39-45 seats and projected 22-31 seats for AAP and 0-2 seats for Congress.
People’s Insights predicted a victory for the BJP with 40-44 seats and gave 25-29 seats to AAP.
Another exit poll by Chanakya Strategies gave 39-44 seats to the BJP and 25-28 seats to the AAP. The poll gave the Congress 2-3 seats.
An exit poll by P-Marq said that the BJP will comfortably romp home with a clear majority with 39-49 seats. The poll gave the AAP 21-31 seats.
DV-Research gave 36-44 seats to the BJP, projecting 26-24 seats for the AAP and none to the Congress.
AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar dismissed the exit polls and predicted 58 seats for the AAP and around 12 seats for the BJP. She also alleged poll code violations and misuse of official machinery, including the Delhi Police and the Election Commission.
BJP candidate Ramesh Bidhuri, who challenged Chief Minister Atishi in Kalkaji, expressed confidence that the BJP will cross the 50-seat mark when the results are declared. “The BJP is going to comfortably form the government,” he said.
The Congress is unlikely to spring any surprise for the third straight Assembly election with no exit poll giving it more than three seats.
As the exit poll reports started coming in, Delhi BJP Virendra Sachdeva exuded confidence that the BJP is going to form a government and the party’s new government will approve in its first Cabinet meeting the payment of Rs 2,500 per month to all women. “I thank Delhi voters for voting for a double-engine government in Delhi,” he said. (IANS)
