Pradeep Gupta of Axis My India, who conducts the exit polls with India Today, was seen crying and sobbing on live television on the India Today channel. Apparently, the pollster was deeply hurt after the Axis My India got the exit polls wrong, predicting close to 400 seats for the BJP led NDA in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Pradeep Gupta breaking down into tears was preceded by some bantering between him and senior anchor Rajdeep Sardesai. Social media handles shared the video and said that Rajdeep made the pollster "cry". However, the anchor was also the first to rush to console Pradeep Gupta, showed video.
The early trends show that the NDA is touching the majority mark with 296 seats. However, the BJP looks like falling short of forming the government on its own, if the current trends hold up. Almost all the exit polls, including Axis My India and India Today, had given a thumping lead to the BJP led NDA and predicted anywhere between 350-400 seats for the NDA. That prediction looks set to fall apart as the INDIA alliance performed much better than what the exit polls predicted.
The pollster broke down on live television while discussing the election results. The India Today anchors tried to console him even as Rajdeep Sardesai said Gupta got many states right especially in the case of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
Video shows Pradeep Gupta breaking down in the middle of the debate. The anchors rush to console him by uttering comforting him. Rahul Kanwal also cracks a joke to cheer him up. Rajdeep Sardesai walks up to the pollster and says, "It's ok, chalta rehta hai (it happens). It's the song of life."
"Are kya baat karte ho, are ye kaisi baat hai. (What are you doing? What's this?) You have tried your best. You have done an honest post-mortem," says a consoling Rajdeep to Pradeep Gupta who broke down. "Are muskurao, gaana kare (please smile, should we break into a song?" says Rajdeep to cheer up a crying Pradeep Gupta.
Rajdeep Sardesai also says, "we will introspect." However, he breaks down again before collecting himself eventually. Finally, he manages to get in control of his emotions and then says that the this verdict will make the government focus even more in delivering on promises.
Watch The Full Video Below
The results for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections took the agencies who conducted the exit polls with the channels by surprise. While the NDA is close to touching the 300 mark, the INDIA Alliance is projected to get 230 seats, making it a much more close contest than many had predicted. The state which all the pollsters and agencies got wrong is Uttar Pradesh, where the Samajwadi Party and Congress led INDIA bloc is currently ahead of the BJP led NDA.
