Five Indian states went to the polls to elect the members of their next assembly in multiple phases over February and March 2022: Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. After high octane campaigns where we saw all possible tactics – the good, the bad and the ugly – citizens cast their votes in several phases spread out over nearly one month. As soon as the elections concluded, the exit polls were out in force:
It is important to remember that these are just projections and while exit polls have been quite accurate in the past, they have also got things very wrong in some cases.
People tweeted various previous instances of inaccurate exit polls… and made exit poll memes of course.
Media attention has noticeably shifted now – from the invasion of Ukraine to the assembly polls.
Results are on 10th March but we are already seeing eye-popping graphics and stunts meant to capture eyeballs; not-stop coverage and breathless analyses.
For some, inflation, fuel prices, COVID management and unemployment are major issues.
It appears that the ruling BJP will return in UP and Manipur, AAP will come to power in Punjab, Goa and Uttarakhand will see a tight race.
It appears that the anti-incumbency factor hasn’t negatively impacted the fortunes of the Yogi Adityanath led BJP government in UP.
It appears to be advantage BJP in Uttarakhand as well.
While the AajTak polls got the maximum attention on social media there are others who are making different predictions.
Some had their own predictions to share – based on an ‘educated’ guess perhaps.
India’s biggest state UP saw elections conducted in seven phases over 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 February & 3 and 7 March 2022
The predictions seem to indicate that the current government of the INC is likely to lose by a big margin and that we may see the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) forming a government there soon.
There is the widely held perception that fuel prices were deliberately lowered and kept low for the duration of the polls and that they will now shoot up.
Now after the exit polls, the nonstop coverage of assembly election results will start when counting starts on 10th March. No matter what one’s ideology or political preference, there is no doubt that politics in India is more fascinating than Bollywood
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