'An indication, not final': Congress MP on exit poll predicting big win for NDA

New Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS) Reacting to exit polls that projected a major victory for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, Congress MP Tariq Anwar on Wednesday said that such polls can be treated as an ‘indication but not as the final outcome’.

“Generally, exit polls tend to favour the NDA. During the Lok Sabha elections, they had projected more than 300 seats for the NDA, but they secured around 240. In 2015, an exit poll showed the NDA in a majority, yet the Mahagathbandhan won,” Tariq Anwar told IANS.

He added that similarly, in West Bengal, an exit poll suggested the BJP would win, but the party lost there.

“So, we can consider exit polls as an indication, but treating them as final results would be incorrect. Bihar is a large state with many factors influencing voting behaviour,” he said.

Tariq Anwar pointed out that it is not necessary that all claims of the exit polls will prove accurate.

The Bihar Assembly Elections 2025, which witnessed heavy voter turnout in both phases on November 6 and 11, are expected to deliver a strong mandate for the BJP-led NDA while dealing a setback to the RJD and Congress-led Mahagathbandhan, according to most exit polls released on Tuesday.

Tariq Anwar also commented on the high turnout of women voters in Bihar, saying that women have played a significant role in these elections.

He said that the NDA government announced Rs 10,000 assistance for women just before the polls, which has clearly had an impact.

“Many of them are less aware of political motives behind such schemes, so this move likely influenced their votes,” he told IANS.

Reacting to the NIA probe into the recent Delhi blast, Anwar welcomed the investigation, adding that it is good that the National Investigation Agency is probing the incident.

“It was a major attack. We were under the impression that terrorism had ended, but that is not true; terrorism is still growing in the country. It is necessary to go to the roots of such incidents and identify those responsible,” he added.

On Tuesday Home Ministry handed over the Delhi blast investigation to the NIA.

The blast occurred on the evening of November 10 when a Haryana-registered car parked near Gate No.1 of the Red Fort Metro Station exploded, killing at least eight people and injuring dozens.

--IANS

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