Exit poll projections show BJP sweeping Uttar Pradesh assembly elections
Exit polls conducted by major survey agencies following the conclusion of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections on Saturday projected a landslide victory for the BJP-led NDA alliance, with estimates ranging from 280 to 340 seats in the 403-member assembly — well above the majority mark of 202.
The Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance is projected to win between 60-90 seats, a significant decline from its 2022 performance. The Bahujan Samaj Party, which has been losing ground, is projected to bag 5-12 seats.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav dismissed the exit polls as "manufactured data" designed to "demoralise our voters and workers." He claimed his party's own internal surveys showed a "hung assembly" at worst and a "SP majority" at best.
BJP president JP Nadda expressed confidence in the exit polls, saying they reflected the government's developmental record. "The people of UP have seen how Yogi ji has transformed the state in terms of law and order and infrastructure," he said.
Political scientists note that exit polls in UP have historically had significant margins of error due to the complexity of caste and community calculations. The 2022 exit polls also significantly overestimated the opposition's performance.
The counting of votes will take place on Tuesday, and official results are expected by evening. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had been the face of the BJP's campaign.
