Lok Sabha Election 2019: Exit polls which failed to read public mood

New Delhi, May 19: The voting for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 will come to an end on Sunday at 6 PM following which several pollsters will come out with their exit poll predictions. Major national pollsters including News18-IPSOS, India Today-Axis, Times Now-CNX, NewsX-Neta, Republic Bharat-Jan Ki Baat, Republic-CVoter, ABP-CSDS and Today's Chanakya will reveal their numbers ahead of the counting of votes on 23 May.

The accuracy of exit polls has always been a point of contention. However, all exit polls need to carry the standard statutory warning - this might not reflect the reality.

The exit polls in 2004 and 2009 failed to accurately predict the results of the elections.

In 2004, almost all media organisations had predicted Atal Bihari Vajpayee to come back to power and we all remember how hat turned out. However, proving all exit polls wrong, the Congress staged a stunning comeback to form a coalition government.

In 2009 too, most exit polls predicted a hung Parliament with the UPA as the single largest coalition. This time too they were proven wrong as the Congress on its own managed to win over 200 seats.