Opposition Dismisses Exit Poll Projections
Despite most exit polls forecasting a comfortable victory for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the opposition INDIA bloc has firmly rejected these predictions, expressing strong confidence about forming the next government in Bihar. The coalition's rejection came on Tuesday, just days after the final phase of voting concluded in the state.
Historical Precedents Cited
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) completely dismissed the exit poll projections, pointing to similar predictions during the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections that ultimately proved inaccurate. State RJD spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan declared the exit polls as "a bundle of lies" while making bold claims about their own performance.
Gagan stated that feedback received from 90,700 polling booths indicates the INDIA bloc will secure more than 170 seats in the assembly elections and form the government with a two-thirds majority. He recalled how during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, various news channels in their exit polls had given the NDA more than 400 seats, suggesting a pattern of exaggerated predictions.
The RJD leader also remembered the 2015 Bihar assembly elections when NDA workers had prematurely started celebrating with firecrackers and sweets, only to face completely different results when the actual votes were counted.
Congress Confident of Strong Performance
The Congress party, another key member of the INDIA alliance, projected even greater optimism. Congress spokesperson Rajesh Rathore claimed the party would win a minimum of 140 seats and attributed this expected performance to strong anti-NDA voting patterns among women, youth, Dalits, and backward community members.
Rathore highlighted that several key issues resonated with voters, including promises of jobs for every family, 200 units of free power, and 3 to 5 decimals of land to landless persons. He emphasized that these welfare measures had "worked wonders" at the grassroots level.
Like his RJD counterpart, Rathore also questioned the credibility of exit polls, citing the 2015 assembly election as the "best example" of how such predictions had proven false in the past.
Left Parties Report Strong Anti-Government Wave
State CPI-ML secretary Kunal echoed the confidence expressed by other INDIA bloc partners, declaring that "Badlao is certain" (change is certain). He reported that in the second phase of voting, an even stronger wave in favor of the INDIA bloc was visible compared to the first phase.
However, Kunal sounded a note of caution, emphasizing the need for vigilance during the counting process. He urged that "all counting agents should maintain complete vigilance so that the ruling party does not get any opportunity for manipulation."
The CPI-ML leader also reported that the party contested six assembly seats in the second phase and noted that despite attempts to intimidate grand alliance supporters in several areas, youth, women, Dalits, minorities, and weaker sections of society voted with great enthusiasm in favor of change.
As the counting day approaches, the stage is set for a dramatic revelation of whether the INDIA bloc's confidence or the exit polls' predictions will prove accurate in determining Bihar's political future.
