The exit polls aired on television channels gave a sweeping victory to the BJP and a third consecutive victory for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, according to political scientist Yogendra Yadav, who spoke to The Wire’s political editor Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashasta, the exit polls also threw in a lot of surprises.
Yadav had been speculating that the BJP could fall short of the majority mark of 272, given the level of anger and resentment against the Modi government that he witnessed in his travels across the country during the election campaign.
For one, Yadav believed that the BJP’s speculated sweep in states like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, and strong gains in vote share in Tamil Nadu and Kerala did not reflect the ground reality.
Why are the surveyors putting themselves on the line? Yadav said that the way BJP leaders have been drum beating the reading of the exit polls, which have mostly arrived at similar figures pointing towards a three-fourth majority for the BJP may have a different reason.
Could exit polls be a smokescreen to conceal something, he asked in this interview to The Wire, while sticking to his guns. Listen in.
