The Biggest Festival of Indian Democracy: Exit Polls Today “June 1, 2024”

The 44-day-long Lok Sabha elections, The Biggest Festival Of Indian Democracy are set to conclude on June 1, 2024. This seven-phase election process will wrap up with voting on 57 parliamentary seats across seven states and the Chandigarh union territory. Once polling ends, exit polls will be released, predicting the likely victors and the magnitude of their victories.

The election process commenced on April 19 with the first phase, followed by subsequent phases on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, and May 26, with the final phase scheduled for June 1. The vote counting and result declaration are set for June 4 (Tuesday).

The Election Commission of India has prohibited the dissemination of exit polls until 6 pm on June 1, the final day of voting. Additionally, media organizations—both print and electronic—are barred from conducting or publishing election result predictions until 6 pm on that day. Consequently, exit polls will be available after 6:30 pm, once the final phase of voting concludes.

The main contest is between the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Congress-led opposition INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc.

What are exit polls?

An exit poll is a post-election survey and is similar to an opinion poll, which is a pre-election survey. In an exit poll, electors are asked who they voted for, after exiting the polling station. In the latter exercise, on the other hand, people are asked who they intend to vote for. While offering an early indication of results and voter trends, exit polls can be inaccurate due to various biases. Many countries, including India, regulate the release of exit polls to avoid influencing ongoing voting processes.

Where to watch exit polls?

News channels will begin revealing their projections by 6:30-7 pm on Saturday ( 1^st June ). These will also be live-streamed on various social media platforms, including YouTube. The most prominent exit polls in India are usually conducted by Chanakya, CVoter, and MyAxis India, among others, and shown on TV channels including Republic TV, ABP Network, Times Now, India Today, Aaj Tak, Zee News, TV9 Bharatvarsh and others.

The Congress has decided not to participate in any Lok Sabha exit poll debates on the television channels and said it does not want to indulge in speculation and slugfest for TRP. Congress spokesperson and media department chairperson Pawan Khera said the voters have cast their votes and their verdict has been secured.