Exit polls: 2021 results in news again when Mamata Banerjee won the election, but BJP was made the king in Exit polls

Exit polls predicted a strong BJP position in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. However, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress won with a landslide victory.

Updated: April 30, 2026 12:07 PM IST

Assembly elections have been held in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry, and people are now awaiting the results. With the voting over, exit polls for each of these constituencies have also been released. The various exit polls for West Bengal are telling different stories. A majority in the 294-seat West Bengal Assembly requires 148 seats. The P-Mark exit poll gives the TMC 118-138 seats, the BJP 150-175 seats, and others 2-6 seats.

Many surveys are predicting a BJP government in West Bengal, while Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress is being shown lagging behind. Exit polls often create a buzz after voting. Debates swirl in TV studios, and a public image of the results begins to form. However, this picture often turns out to be completely different from reality. The 2021 West Bengal elections were a prime example of this.

At that time, almost all exit poll indicated that the BJP would emerge as a major force in the state and could hold the key to power. The “lotus blooming” was being widely touted. But when the actual results came in, the entire equation changed. The field was the same, the players were the same, but the victory story was written differently. This also raised serious questions about the credibility of the exit polls.

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Complete story of 2021 exit polls vs results

The 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections covered a total of 294 seats. Exit polls predicted a close contest between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress. Several surveys even gave the BJP an edge. However, the results completely reversed the situation. The TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, secured a landslide victory, while the BJP fell far short of expectations.

This wasn’t just a statistical discrepancy, but a significant misreading of voting patterns on the ground. Exit polls failed to accurately capture rural voters, women voters, and local issues. This is why the predictions of a “lotus bloom” were overshadowed by the results.

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2026 exit polls

The exit polls have projected the BJP to win between 150 and 175 seats, while the TMC is projected to win between 118 and 138 seats.