Don’t get overexcited over exit polls: Veteran leader Tathagata warns BJP
The Statesman | 1 May 2026
Senior BJP leader Tathagata Roy on Thursday cautioned party workers against overenthusiasm over exit poll projections for the West Bengal Assembly Election, reminding them of the unexpected outcome of the 2021 polls.
Roy urged the Bharatiya Janata Party’s West Bengal unit by using Facebook to remain vigilant until the final results are declared. “Be happy with the exit polls, but do not get overexcited. Counting is yet to take place, and we do not know what attempts may be made,” he wrote, calling for strict monitoring during the counting process.
Roy advised party leaders to ensure that counting agents remain stationed at centres until the returning officers formally declare results. His remarks come amid heightened political chatter suggesting a possible shift in Bengal’s political landscape, with exit polls indicating both prospects of change and continuity. Drawing parallels with the West Bengal Assembly Election 2021, Roy recalled how most exit polls had predicted a decisive victory for the BJP and the fall of the Trinamul Congress government. However, the results defied those projections, with the ruling party securing a landslide 213 seats, while the BJP was restricted to 77.
In a sharply-worded post, Roy also took a veiled dig at the party’s leadership during the 2021 election, criticising what he described as premature capitulation. Referring indirectly to past events, he said the party must not repeat earlier mistakes and should remain steadfast until the end of the counting process. Roy has been an outspoken critic of the BJP’s state leadership in recent years. On multiple occasions, he has questioned organisational strategies and the influx of high-profile entrants into the party, once describing the trend as “kaminikanchan politics.” He had earlier warned that such approaches would not help the party capture power in Bengal. Despite indications of a changing political mood in the state, Roy maintained that caution, discipline, and vigilance remain essential until the final verdict is announced.