The second and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections will be held on Wednesday (April 29), after the first phase ended on Thursday (April 23), along with polling for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Once voting in West Bengal ends, all eyes will be on the exit poll forecasts for the high-stakes contest, along with forecasts in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry.
The votes of all states and union territories will be counted together on Monday (May 4). The high voter turnout, especially in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, increased interest in the final result.
When will the poll forecasts be released?
The Election Commission has set a specific period during which the results of voter polls may not be published. Media organizations have been notified that they are prohibited from conducting or publishing exit polls from 7:00 AM on April 9, 2026, until 6:30 PM on April 29, 2026.
The poll warned that any violation of the silence period “is punishable by imprisonment for up to two years, a fine, or both.”
As a result, exit poll results for all five regions are likely to be published only after the 6:30pm deadline on 29 April.
Where can I watch poll forecasts?
Viewers can check poll forecasts on TV news channels, polling agencies’ websites and their social media platforms.
Leading agencies like Axis My India, CVoter, Jan Ki Baat, IPSOS and Today’s Chanakya will publish their results online.
Hindustan Times will also carry live updates, detailed analysis and constituency forecasts. These can be found on its dedicated elections page, along with pages for West Bengal Assembly elections, Tamil Nadu elections, Kerala elections, Assam elections and Puducherry elections.
What are exit polls?
Polls are conducted shortly after people vote to understand voting patterns and estimate likely outcomes.
Participating people are asked which party they voted for, as well as details such as age, gender and community, to examine trends. Although they are not always completely correct, exit polls give an early picture of voter mood and potential shifts before official results are announced.
The accuracy of these polls depends on factors such as the sampling process, regional reach, and voter response. Unlike opinion polls conducted before voting begins, exit polls often show a more realistic picture because they are conducted on polling day.
How to conduct exit polls
Survey teams talk to voters outside polling places and use structured questionnaires that contain closed-ended questions to keep answers clear.
Urban and rural areas are sampled across regions to reflect different voter groups. After collecting the data, analysts study the patterns and estimate the number of potential seats for each party or coalition.
