Assembly elections 2026: When will exit poll results for Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry be announced?

Predicting vote shares and translating them into seat outcomes are among the biggest challenges in exit polls.

Exit polls for the Assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are expected to be released on the evening of April 29.

The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced the schedule for Assembly elections in five states and Union Territory.

Voting in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry will take place in a single phase on April 9. Tamil Nadu will go to the polls on April 23. West Bengal will vote in two phases on April 23 and April 29. The counting of votes for all five elections will be held on May 4.

As the final phase of voting will take place in West Bengal on April 29, exit polls for all five elections are expected to be released only after polling concludes that evening, usually from around 6.30 pm-7 pm onwards.

What are exit polls?

An exit poll surveys voters about which political party they support after they have cast their ballots in an election. This sets it apart from an opinion poll, which is conducted before voting takes place. Exit polls are meant to capture the likely trends in an election and help gauge the issues, personalities and voter loyalties that may have shaped the outcome.

Are exit polls always accurate?

Predicting vote shares and translating them into seat outcomes are among the biggest challenges in exit polls. Analysts often rely on the swing model, which uses results from previous elections to estimate shifts in vote shares.

However, this method is complex and influenced by several factors such as geography, caste, religion and economic background.

Changes in political alliances between elections can also alter outcomes. In addition, converting vote share estimates into seat projections requires extensive data and fieldwork, making the process time-consuming and resource intensive.

When and where to watch exit polls?

You can track the latest exit poll predictions and analysis right here on Moneycontrol.com, along with the most comprehensive coverage for the five assembly elections.