AAP rejects exit polls for underestimating its performance in Delhi, BJP says hint at change

The AAP rejected the exit poll results for the Delhi Assembly election on Wednesday, saying the pollsters have "historically" underestimated its performance, while the BJP termed the predictions an assertion of people's urge for change.

As voting for the 70-member Delhi Assembly concluded at 6 pm on Wednesday, most exit polls predicted an edge to the BJP over the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

AAP's national spokesperson Reena Gupta told PTI that exit polls have historically underestimated the Arvind Kejriwal-led party but in actual results, the party gains several times more than these projections.

"You look at any exit poll -- whether in 2013, 2015 or 2020 -- the AAP was always shown getting a smaller number of seats. But it got a greater number of seats in the actual results," Gupta said.

She claimed that the people of Delhi have voted for the AAP in large numbers and asserted that the party is going to register a "historic" victory, with Kejriwal becoming the chief minister for a fourth time.

The poll results are scheduled to be declared on Saturday.

Exit polls are projections made by election-survey agencies, based on interviews of voters as they come out of polling booths after casting their votes. These may vary widely from the actual results.

According to the Matrize exit poll, the BJP-led NDA may get 35-40 seats, while the AAP is projected to get 32 to 37 seats. The survey has given Congress zero to one seat.

The People's Pulse exit poll has said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is likely to get 51 to 60 seats, while the AAP may get 10 to 19 seats. The Congress, it has claimed, will not be able to open its account.

According to the People's Insight exit poll, the NDA is likely to get 40 to 44 seats, the AAP 25 to 29 seats and the Congress zero to one seat.

The P-Marq exit poll has predicted 39 to 49 seats for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies, 21 to 31 seats for the AAP and zero to one seat for the Congress.

The JVC exit poll has said the BJP and its allies would get 39 to 45 seats, the AAP 22 to 31 seats and the Congress zero to two seats.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the party respects the exit poll predictions. "I believe the people of Delhi made up their minds long ago that they wanted change," he added.

Delhiites want a corruption-free government. BJP workers campaigned with great dedication in the run-up to the election to fight against corruption in the city, Sachdeva said.

He exuded confidence that the AAP is on its way out of power and that the saffron party is going to form its government in Delhi after a gap of more than 25 years.

As Delhi voters cast their ballots for the assembly polls on Wednesday, allegations of fake voting emerged in some parts of the national capital, including Seelampur and Kasturba Nagar. High drama unfolded in Seelampur when a BJP leader accused some people wearing burqas of attempting to vote fraudulently. However, police denied any fake voting in the area. In Kasturba Nagar, police sources said two men allegedly attempted to vote fraudulently. The two men were caught and are being interrogated, they said.

Meanwhile, AAP candidate from Greater Kailash, Saurabh Bharadwaj, claimed people were being stopped from voting in Chirag Dilli and and senior party leader Manish Sisodia alleged money was being distributed from a house in Jungpura. In Seelampur, following allegations of fake voting by the BJP, more leaders of the party began sloganeering outside a polling booth. Delhi Police, however, dismissed the charges pointing to security deployed in the area. Additional police and paramilitary forces were also deployed, they said. Seelampur resident Safdar Ali told PTI that BJP candidate Anil Gaur came and said people were voting fraudulently. “We asked him how was it possible when there are several layers of checking. The officials are checking the voter ID cards of everyone and allowing only valid voters inside the booth. "Later he left and the situation is now normal here due to the administration and security personnel,” Ali said.

Meanwhile, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that police had barricaded the Chirag Dilli area, preventing people from voting. He shared a video on X showing a woman sitting alone in an autorickshaw near a barricade, alleging that it was deliberately placed to obstruct access to the polling station. In another video, AAP's candidate in Jungpura Manish Sisodia alleged money was being distributed from a house in the area. He asked police officers on duty to conduct a raid at the house. In Kasturba Nagar, police received information that two men allegedly attempted fake voting. The incidents allegedly happened at Sarvodaya Vidyalaya in the Andrews Ganj area. They were caught by the Delhi Police and are currently being interrogated, police sources said. Police received another PCR call from a woman who alleged that someone had cast vote in her name by the time she went to her pooling booth. Police, however, found out that another woman with a similar name, who lived in the complainant's house as a tenant, had cast the vote. After verification the presiding officer allowed both of them to vote, police said.