As the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026 concludes, attention turns to the exit polls that will be released later today. Historically, these polls have frequently misrepresented actual election outcomes, shaping narratives that often diverge sharply from reality. For instance, in the 2024 Haryana Legislative Assembly election, exit polls predicted a strong return for the Congress party, but the BJP emerged victorious, highlighting a significant misreading of voter sentiment. Similarly, ahead of the 2024 Indian general election, projections suggested a landslide for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), yet the final tally showed the NDA falling short of a majority. Other notable failures include the 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections, where exit polls forecasted a hung assembly, while the BJP secured a decisive victory with 325 seats. Experts attribute these inaccuracies to factors such as sampling limitations and urban bias, which complicate the task of capturing the diverse voter sentiment in India. As exit polls continue to influence political narratives, they should be regarded as indicators rather than definitive predictions, reminding us that the true outcome is only revealed on counting day.