The exit polls for 2019 elections are out and the liberal brigade is unsurprisingly displeased by the exit poll predictions. Exit poll results indicate that BJP led NDA is headed for a thumping victory, and this didn’t sit well with leaders of opposition parties and their sympathizers in the media. It was obvious that discrediting of the exit poll and denial of the predictions would follow after the last phase of polls is over. The liberal journalists and opposition politicians took to social media and other news outlets to show their discontent over the exit polls.
Shekhar Gupta, the print editor through his tweet had informed his followers that exit polls are to be believed less as they have been defied in Australia. The journalist seems to be extremely optimistic that the exit polls do not show the opinion of the masses. The clear predictions that assure a landslide win for BJP did not sit well for the Print editor. It is bizarre that the journalists and politicians are citing example of Australia and insinuate that Modi could meet the same fate. They are completely forgetting the fact that it was a left government in Australia which was ousted. Exit polls had predicted a left victory and not that of a right-leaning one, in complete contrast to India.
Health Warning: When you sit down to watch the exit polls on Sunday evening, please keep at the back of your minds probably the rudest shock delivered to psephology by Australian voters. Conservative coalition wins, defying scores, in fact all of opinion and exit polls.
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) May 18, 2019
Politicians like Shashi Tharoor have also cited the example of Australia and said that the polls might be wrong and only the counting day can decide what the final result will be. It is said, that optimism and ignorance have a very thin line. While it is good to have hopes, it is foolish to not judge the situation around the country which clearly does not favour the opposition.
I believe the exit polls are all wrong. In Australia last weekend, 56 different exit polls proved wrong. In India many people don’t tell pollsters the truth fearing they might be from the Government. Will wait till 23rd for the real results.
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 19, 2019
If someone is really “heart-broken” after the exit polls, it is the former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah who appeared to be taken aback by the predictions. So much so that he asked his followers on twitter to switch off the TV sets and give up on social media until 23rd May. He hopes that some magic happens and the tables turn.
Every single exit poll can’t be wrong! Time to switch off the TV, log out of social media & wait to see if the world is still spinning on its axis on the 23rd.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 19, 2019
Calling the general elections as “Aur Kaun hai” elections, Barkha Dutt said that PM Modi did not accrue advantage from the work he did for the country but because of the lack of leadership in the opposition party which benefitted PM Modi. She has been downplaying PM Modi’s charisma and has regarded his performance as dismal through her disparaging article.
The 2019 election: Lack of a national leadership alternative means advantage Modi. I am no pollster and i could be wrong but here is why I think Modi has best chance to be PM again. The "Aur Kaun Hai" election for @htTweets https://t.co/Ub8ev4dGAA
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) May 19, 2019
Political editor of Caravan Magazine Hartosh Singh Bal, who has been a staunch critic of Modi government, slammed Congress government for putting a miserable fight against the BJP. He also said that the regional party performed better than the national parties. While the journalist makes such remarks, he should give a look at the exit polls of south and north-east.
a week from now if the results end up making us suffer modi in power again it will only be because the cong has spectacularly failed to hold its own in a direct contest with the BJP. the regional parties have more than done their job.
— Hartosh Singh Bal (@HartoshSinghBal) May 16, 2019
With most of the exit polls predicting a rout against his party in Andhra Pradesh, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu highlighted that exit polls had failed to be correct time and again. He also said that the exit polls were far from reality. Nearly all exit polls predicted a thumping victory for the main Opposition YSR Congress Party in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly election, also projecting that YSRCP would win close to 20 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Time and again exit polls have failed to catch the People's pulse. Exit polls have proved to be incorrect and far from ground reality in many instances. While undoubtedly TDP govt will be formed in AP, we are confident that non-BJP parties will form a non-BJP govt at the center.
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) May 19, 2019
The controversial journalist Rana Ayyub said that even after all the raking up about the agrarian distress by opposition, it failed to cut the ice with the voters.
Acc to axis exit poll CONG-NCP, decimated in maharashtra and gujarat. Again expected lines. Agrarian distress in maharashtra made no impact and gujaratis will not let down their two key leaders.
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) May 19, 2019
Even the co-founder of Wire, Sidharth Bhatia who was accused during the #metoo movement directly rubbished the predictions. He discredited the exit polls saying that they have no objectivity and are only used to provide fodder to news outlets to help entertain their viewers.
statutory warning-exit polls have a habit of being widely off the mark. 1999 and 2004 are two good examples
— Sidharth Bhatia (@bombaywallah) May 19, 2019
YouTuber Dhruv Rathee said that he won’t be surprised if these polls are correct. “Having 90% media in your control, Bollywood films, TV serials, social media ads all projecting you as a messiah and EC giving you a free hand to play dirty = Massive influence,” he tweeted. Dhruv Rathee sought to find solace through his own understanding of how BJP has succeeded in misleading the electorate. On the other hand, some in the liberal establishment sought to undermine the EVMs. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee tweeted that she doesn’t believe “Exit Poll gossip.”
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
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 19, 2019
With all these liberals denying the exit polls and rubbishing the prediction shows that they wish that something like 2004 is repeated. They, however, forget that a lot has changed since 2004 and a glimpse of it is the exit polls which they are not ready to accept. The thumping victory of the Prime Minister Modi is inevitable and the mandate is likely to be in the favour of BJP despite the constant condemning of the exit poll by opposition and the whining of the liberal journalists.
