As the seven-phased assembly elections in five states concluded on Monday, AAP is expected to dethrone Congress in Punjab, although the contest between the two parties would be close.
If the recent exit poll results are to be considered, Bhagwant Mann will be the new Chief Minister of Punjab. Exit polls predict that the AAP will achieve a stunning victory.
According to exit polls for 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party, which is now in power in Delhi, is expected to win 75 or more seats in the 117-member Punjab Assembly.
Punjab have seen a multi-cornered battle between the Aam Aadmi Party, the Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal, and the Bharatiya Janata Party, which contested polls without its long-time ally Shiromani Akali Dal this time.
“I see the AAP to be the natural and national replacement of the Congress,” AAP leader Raghav Chadha stated when asked about early exit polls showing AAP forming government in Punjab.
“Let’s wait for the result until March 10,” current Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi stated when questioned about the exit polls in Punjab. According to most exit polls, the AAP is on track to achieve a decisive victory, with the party predicted to win 76-90 seats in the 117-seat legislature.
How Exit Polls are calculated
Exit polls are predictions of election winners made by media organisations using random or systematic sampling techniques before the results are released. Predictions are usually based on voter responses to questions like which party they voted for and why. Following the answer, the organisations analyze the political trend in order to determine which party or candidate is most likely to win in each constituency.
Between February 10 and March 7, the Election Commission of India barred the sharing of exit polls, as well as print and electronic media firms from conducting or publishing election results predictions.
“No person shall conduct any exit poll and publish or publicize the results of any exit poll by means of print or any other manner,” the poll body stated in its order.
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