Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress will continue to rule the roost in Bengal, and improve its overall tally from the present 34 to 36-38 seats, News18’s IPSOS exit poll has predicted. The BJP is predicted to marginally increase its present tally of two seats to 3-5, the survey said.
Polls by both Times Now-VMR and Republic – C-Voter has also predicted that the Trinamool Congress will continue its domination, but has given 11 seats to the BJP. The Times Now-VMR has predicted 28 seats for the TMC, two for the Congress and one for others.
However, According to India Today-Axis, the Modi juggernaut seems to have run over Mamata Banerjee’s citadel in West Bengal. The poll says that both the BJP and the Trinamool Congress are jostling for political space. Out of 42 seats, 19 to 22 seats are going to the TMC and 19 to 23 seats to the BJP.
In terms of voter share, the TMC is likely to get 41 per cent votes, almost as much as last elections. The stunning development is that the BJP is projected to increase its vote share by 24 per cent to share the honours with the TMC. The incorrigible losers here are the Congress and the Left.
Drawing a blank, they are also likely to lose their vote share by three and 20 per cent, respectively. Dubbing exit polls as “gossip”, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said she doesn’t trust such surveys, as the “game plan” is to use them for “manipulation” of EVMs.
Most exit polls have forecast a majority for the ruling BJP-led NDA with varying numbers. “I don’t trust Exit Poll gossip. The game plan is to manipulate or replace thousands of EVMs through this gossip. I appeal to all Opposition parties to be united, strong and bold. We will fight this battle together,” Banerjee said in a tweet.
