Exit polls 2019: BJP tipped to repeat 2014 sweep in Delhi
NEW DELHI: Most of the Delhi exit polls predicted on Sunday that the national capital will remain with the BJP. As per the poll result forecasts, the BJP is expected to repeat its performance of winning all the seven seats when the Lok Sabha results are announced on May 23. In 2014, the BJP rode on the Modi wave and grabbed all seven parliamentary seats in Delhi.
While most exit polls gave a blank to the AAP, Times Now-VMR predicted one seat in the national capital to the Congress which fought under the leadership of Sheila Dikshit. The India TV-CNX Exit Poll predicts that the BJP will make a clean sweep in Delhi. The News18-IPSOS exit poll predicts the BJP will win six-seven seats in the national capital. News24 Chanakya says it will be all BJP in Delhi.
“As per the exit poll predictions, we are winning all the seven seats. I would like to thank the great people of this city for these trends. I have full faith that results would reflect the same,” said Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh felt it was too early to comment. “TV studio ‘scientists’ should remember the exit polls of 2013 and 2015 Assembly elections. Have some shame and remember the exit polls of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. In 2019 also your ‘Make BJP win’ campaign will be proven wrong,” he tweeted.
Delhi Congress spokesperson Ramakant Goswami said the trends of the exit polls show that the Congress is making progress in Delhi, but added the party will wait for the final results on May 23.
This year, the saffron party repeated five candidates and fielded two new faces — former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir (East Delhi) and Sufi singer Hans Raj Hans (North West Delhi). While the Congress fielded seasoned faces including the likes of former chief minister Sheila Dikshit (North East Delhi), Mahabal Mishra (West Delhi), JP Agarwal (Chandni Chowk). Its new faces were Olympic bronze-medal winning boxer (South Delhi) and Rajesh Lilothia (North West Delhi). The AAP fielded fresh faces in all the seven Lok Sabha seats.
Before the voting on May 12, CM Arvind Kejriwal fearing a split in the anti-BJP votes, tried to win over the Congress for a pre-poll alliance. The BJP would have run into a tougher challenge had the Congress and the AAP managed to tie up, according to poll observers. But, the two parties went solo and the AAP is likely to be the most affected.