Exit Polls vs Final Results: Chanakya poll comes closest

Panaji, May 16: At least 7 exit polls were released ahead of the results day and all of them had predicted that the

and its allies would emerge as winners.

As at 8 pm, the NDA seat count is 339. The News24-Chanakya exit polls had predicted 340 seats for NDA. The exit poll predicted around 70 seats for Congress and its allies, but when the results were declared on Friday, the UPA score stood at 58.

Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar lauded Chanakya' poll for coming closest to the final outcome of the 2014 general elections.

"I have to congratulate (Today's) Chanakya. They were almost perfect," Parrikar told a press conference in Panaji at the party's state headquarters.

Incidentally, Parrikar is himself referred to as 'Chanakya', (after the wise mentor who taught statecraft to ancient Mauryan king Chandragupta) in Goa's political circles for his wily maneuvering skills. "Unlike other surveys, 'Today's Chanakya' even got the statewide performance on the dot," he said.

The 'Today's Chanakya' poll was conducted by RNB Research, a global market research company. The poll predicted that BJP would win 291 seats and even allotted a margin of 14 seats. With the counting of votes in its final phases, the BJP has already won 284 seats.

'Today's Chanakya' caught the popular imagination right after it predicted a powerhouse performance for the Aam Aadmi Party in 2013 Delhi assembly elections, at a time when other surveys forecast a poor result for the Aravind Kejriwal-led party.

Other exit poll surveys had predicted around 275 seats for NDA. (Read all the exit poll predictions here)

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