Bengal exit polls 2021: Trinamool, CPI dismiss BJP victory projections
Synopsis
Three of four exit polls project a BJP win in West Bengal, but Trinamool and CPI are having none of it. With results due on 4 May, Trinamool's Shashi Panja is predicting 235+ seats for her party while CPI's D. Raja sees a Left revival — a stark counter-narrative to the dominant exit poll story.
Key Takeaways
Three of four exit polls projected a BJP victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections .
Trinamool candidate Shashi Panja predicted 235+ seats for Trinamool and fewer than 50 seats for BJP.
CPI national General Secretary D.
Raja said people of Bengal "will reject the BJP" and predicted a Left revival.
Raja also predicted a third consecutive LDF term in Kerala and a DMK -led government in Tamil Nadu .
Results for all five states are due on 4 May 2021 .
The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) on Wednesday, 29 April dismissed exit poll projections for the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections, asserting that voters would reject the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) when results are declared on 4 May.
Out of four exit polls conducted after the conclusion of polling in five states, three agencies projected a comfortable BJP majority in West Bengal, potentially ending the Trinamool Congress's decade-long hold on the state.
Trinamool's Rejection of Exit Polls
Trinamool candidate Shashi Panja pushed back sharply against the projections, arguing that exit polls have a poor track record in the state.
Point of View
And both Trinamool and CPI are banking on that legacy to dismiss projections that favour the BJP. But the sheer consistency across three of four agencies is harder to wave away than in previous cycles. The real story here is the Left's calculation: if the BJP does underperform, the CPI hopes to reclaim relevance in a state it governed for over three decades. Whether that revival is plausible — or whether it simply splits the anti-BJP vote — is the question the 4 May count will answer.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the exit polls predict for West Bengal Assembly elections 2021?
Three of four exit polls projected a comfortable BJP victory over the Trinamool Congress in the West Bengal Assembly elections. Results are due on 4 May 2021.
Why did Trinamool Congress dismiss the exit polls?
Trinamool candidate Shashi Panja argued that exit polls have a poor track record in West Bengal and alleged possible bias in data collection or sample size. She predicted Trinamool would win 235 or more seats, with BJP winning fewer than 50.
What did CPI's D. Raja predict for West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu?
CPI national General Secretary D. Raja predicted that voters would reject the BJP in West Bengal and that the Left would make a revival in the state. He also predicted a third consecutive LDF term in Kerala and a DMK-led government in Tamil Nadu under M.K. Stalin.
When will West Bengal election results be declared?
Results for the West Bengal Assembly elections, along with four other states, are scheduled to be declared on 4 May 2021.
What did Pappu Yadav say about the exit polls?
Purnia MP Pappu Yadav alleged that BJP would only win in Assam, and that too "through deception." He also criticised Axis My India CMD Pradeep Gupta, claiming Gupta had previously stated that Mamata Banerjee was losing before changing his position.
