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), alongside polling for the Tamil Nadu assembly elections. Once voting concludes in West Bengal, all eyes will be on the exit poll predictions for the high-stakes contest, along with projections for Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry.
Votes for all the states and the union territory will be counted together on Monday (May 4). High voter turnout, particularly in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, has increased interest in the final outcome.
When will exit poll predictions be released?
The Election Commission has fixed a specific period during which voter survey results cannot be published. Media organisations have been advised that carrying out or releasing exit polls is banned from 7:00 am on April 9, 2026, until 6:30 pm on April 29, 2026.
The poll body warned that any breach of the silence period is “punishable with imprisonment upto a period of two years, or with fine or both”.
As a result, exit poll results for all five regions are likely to be released only after the 6:30 pm deadline on April 29.
Where to watch exit poll predictions?
Viewers can check the exit poll forecasts on television news channels, polling agency websites and their social media platforms.
Leading agencies such as Axis My India, CVoter, Jan Ki Baat, IPSOS and Today’s Chanakya will release their findings online.
Hindustan Times will also carry live updates, detailed analysis and constituency-wise projections. These can be viewed on its dedicated election page, along with pages for West Bengal assembly elections, Tamil Nadu elections, Kerala elections, Assam elections and Puducherry elections.
What are exit polls?
Exit polls are carried out soon after people vote to understand voting patterns and estimate possible results.
People taking part are asked about the party they voted for, along with details such as age, gender and community, to study trends. Though they are not always fully correct, exit polls give an early picture of voter mood and possible shifts before the official results are announced.
The accuracy of these surveys depends on factors such as the sampling process, regional reach and voter response. Unlike opinion polls held before voting begins, exit polls often show a more realistic picture because they are conducted on polling day.
How exit polls are conducted
Survey teams speak to voters outside polling booths and use structured questionnaires containing close-ended questions to keep responses clear.
Samples are taken from both urban and rural areas across regions to reflect different voter groups. After data collection, analysts study patterns and estimate likely seat counts for each party or alliance.
