Director & MD of Axis My India, Pradeep Gupta said the anamolies were so widespread that the agency is left with only a 20–30% response rate, far below the threshold it considers reliable for projections. “As long as our sample is not representative, we do not believe it is right to predict any number,” Gupta said.
Giving reason for not releasing the West Bengal exit polls results, Gupta said the firm’s methodology based on face-to-face interactions has run into an unusual wall of silence from voters in the state. “About 60–70% of the people had their lips sealed. They were not even ready to say yes or no,” Gupta told NDTV, explaining the challenges encountered after the first phase of polling.
Also Read: Bengal on the brink? Exit polls project edge to BJP in a tight race with TMC in Assembly elections
Exit polls, which typically offer early signals on electoral outcomes, rely heavily on voter participation in post-vote surveys making such non-responsiveness a critical constraint.
Several exit polls released on Wednesday pointed to a closely fought contest in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, with projections split between the two principal rivals. Agencies such as Chanakya Strategies and Matrize gave the BJP a marginal advantage, while Janmat Polls and Peoples Pulse indicated stronger support for the TMC. Poll Diary, meanwhile, suggested a competitive race with a slight edge to the BJP.
The final outcome will be known when votes are counted on May 4.
