Most of the dozen agencies, barring two, that conducted exit polls for the Delhi Assembly elections predicted on Wednesday evening that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance was set to secure a majority in the 70-member House. The BJP last secured a majority in the Delhi Assembly in 1993. Delhi did not have an Assembly between 1956 to 1993.
The polling for the Delhi Assembly concluded on Wednesday evening, with a 58 per cent voter turnout, subject to revision, till the reports had come in. The voter turnout in the 2020 Assembly polls was 62.55 per cent and 67.12 per cent, both of which were marked by an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sweep.
Only two exit polls, Mind Brink and Wee Preside, predicted a victory for the AAP. The rest, including People’s Insight, Matrize, PMarq and Chanakya Strategies, said the BJP-led NDA was on course not just to better its 2013 performance, which was its best since 1993, but secure a majority. The BJP contested 68 of the 70 seats, while one each was contested by its allies, the Janata Dal (United) and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas).
Among the exit polls that predicted a BJP victory, the People’s Pulse showed the party was likely to get 51 to 60 seats, while the AAP may get 10-19 seats. According to People’s Insight exit poll, the NDA is likely to get 40 to 44 seats, the AAP 25 to 29 seats, and the Congress 0-1 seat.