Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday questioned the reliability of exit polls, which have suggested a possible BJP-led victory in West Bengal. He pointed out that similar predictions in previous elections had proven incorrect. Abdullah said that past experience shows exit polls are often unreliable and the actual results tend to differ significantly from their projections.

“Can you tell me even one exit poll that has turned out accurate so far? Even in the West Bengal elections five years ago, almost all exit polls predicted a BJP victory, but the final outcome was completely different,” he said. “So we do not need to wait too long this time either. By Monday, when results begin to come in, these predictions will likely prove wrong once again. In fact, one agency even chose not to release its exit poll, possibly because the numbers did not align with expectations,” he added.

Abdullah also commented on the ongoing controversy related to strong rooms in West Bengal, stating that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had every right to deploy her representatives outside EVM storage facilities to ensure their safety. He said this practice was similar to earlier times when parties used to guard ballot boxes.

He further clarified that he does not believe in allegations of pre-poll rigging through electronic voting machines. However, he suggested that concerns today are more about post-poll processes and issues linked to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, which he claimed has raised questions among some political groups.

“The issue is not manipulation of EVMs. Safeguarding them after voting is important, and parties have always done that. But now, concerns are being raised about irregularities through the SIR process under the Election Commission,” he said. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently visited a strong room in Bhabanipur where EVMs are stored, stating that her party would strongly oppose any attempt to tamper with voting machines. The Bharatiya Janata Party had fielded Suvendu Adhikari against her in the constituency.

Banerjee alleged that her party had received reports of possible EVM interference in several areas. She said she decided to inspect the strong room after noticing CCTV footage related to the site. According to her, initial attempts were made to prevent her entry, but election rules allow candidates and their agents access up to secured areas.

She also accused the Election Commission of biased conduct and said that her party’s polling agent had been detained, calling the situation one-sided. On social media, the Trinamool Congress claimed that any wrongdoing would be strongly resisted and warned of political consequences after the results. Most exit polls have projected a BJP win in West Bengal, where the Trinamool Congress has been in power for 15 years. One survey by Chanakya Strategies even suggested a possible majority for the BJP with 150–160 seats in the 294-member assembly, while projecting significantly lower numbers for TMC.

The Election Commission reported exceptionally high voter turnout in the state. Phase II recorded 91.66 percent polling, while Phase I had 93.19 percent, bringing the overall turnout to 92.47 percent—one of the highest since independence. Women voters slightly outnumbered male participation in turnout figures.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.