The Exit Poll Mirage

While exit polls sketch a dramatic map of India’s electoral mood, the line between projection and verdict remains perilously thin. With the ballots across five politically pivotal arenas of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry falling silent until the results are announced on May 4, poll surveyors have filled the vacuum with exit poll numbers that excite, alarm and often mislead. These projections have already begun shaping narratives well before D-Day on May 4. If India’s...

min read

While exit polls sketch a dramatic map of India’s electoral mood, the line between projection and verdict remains perilously thin. With the ballots across five politically pivotal arenas of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry falling silent until the results are announced on May 4, poll surveyors have filled the vacuum with exit poll numbers that excite, alarm and often mislead. These projections have already begun shaping narratives well before D-Day on May 4. If India’s electoral history offers any lesson, it is that exit polls illuminate trends, not truths. Bengal’s Brinkmanship Nowhere is the drama more intense than in West Bengal, arguably the most keenly watched contest among all five arenas. The contest for its 294 seats has long transcended the state’s borders, becoming a proxy for national ambition. Most exit polls now point to a striking possibility of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) majority, in some cases a commanding one. Such an outcome would mark a political earthquake. For decades, Bengal has resisted the BJP’s advances, its politics shaped instead by regional forces - first the Left Front, then Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC). Yet the arithmetic of the polls suggests that the BJP’s campaign built on organisational muscle and the promise of ‘parivartan’ (change) may have finally breached that wall. The TMC, meanwhile, appears to be grappling with anti-incumbency and persistent allegations of corruption. Still, one outlier poll suggests it could yet retain power, a reminder that Bengal’s electorate has a habit of confounding linear predictions. Here, more than anywhere else, the gap between projection and reality may prove widest. Steady Script If Bengal is volatile, the Assam outcome looks fairly settled. Across agencies, there is near unanimity that the BJP-led alliance is poised not just to retain power, but to do so comfortably. With the majority mark at 64 in the 126-member assembly, most estimates place the ruling coalition well above that threshold, in some cases approaching triple digits. The opposition Congress alliance, by contrast, appears stranded far behind. Under Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BJP has fused development rhetoric with a keen sense of identity politics, crafting a coalition that has proved resilient. A third consecutive term would underline the party’s deepening institutional hold over the state. Kerala, by contrast, may be returning to its old rhythm. For decades, the state has alternated power between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) with metronomic regularity. The LDF broke that pattern in the last election, securing an unprecedented second term. Exit polls now suggest that experiment may be short-lived. Most projections place the UDF comfortably above the 71-seat majority mark in the 140-member assembly, with the LDF trailing significantly. If borne out, this would reaffirm Kerala’s instinctive resistance to prolonged incumbency. Governance records matter here, but so does a deeply ingrained political culture that treats alternation as a form of accountability. Familiar Duel? Tamil Nadu, long dominated by its Dravidian titans, shows little appetite for disruption as per most exit polls, which place M.K. Stalin’s DMK-led alliance above the halfway mark of 118 in the 234-seat assembly. Yet, some sections have suggested a possible upset could be staged by actor Vijay’s TVK, the wildcard in the Tamil Nadu battle. Most polls, however, are clear that the opposition AIADMK alliance, though competitive, seems unlikely to unseat the incumbent DMK. In Puducherry, the smallest of the five contests, the implications may nonetheless be outsized. Exit polls give the BJP-led alliance a clear majority in the 30-seat assembly, relegating the Congress-led bloc to a distant second. Numerically modest, the result would carry symbolic weight. A victory here would further entrench the BJP’s presence in the south, a region where it has historically struggled to gain ground. For all their allure, exit polls are imperfect instruments. They rest on limited samples, extrapolated across vast and diverse electorates. In a country where millions vote, the opinions of a few thousand can only approximate reality and often fail to capture its nuances. There is also the problem of the ‘silent voter’ - individuals who either conceal their preferences or shift them late. Recent elections have offered ample reminders. In states such as Haryana and Jharkhand, and even in Maharashtra where margins were misjudged, exit polls have erred, and sometimes dramatically sp. Moreover, the modern exit poll is as much a media event as a methodological exercise. Packaged with graphics, debates and breathless commentary, it fills the void between voting and counting with a sense of immediacy that may be more theatrical than analytical. That said, to dismiss them entirely would be too easy. Exit polls do serve a purpose in sketching broad contours, highlighting regional variations and offering clues about voter sentiment. For political parties, they are early signals and act as tentative guides for observers. Taken together, this cycle’s exit polls suggest a broad, if tentative, pattern of the BJP consolidating in the east and north-east, and opposition alliances regaining ground in parts of the south, and continuity prevailing in key states. But patterns are not outcomes and only counted votes confer legitimacy. It is only on May 4 when the sealed electronic voting machines will deliver that clarity. They will determine whether Bengal witnesses a political rupture or a resilient incumbent, whether Assam’s stability holds, whether Kerala’s pendulum swings back, and whether Tamil Nadu stays its course. (The writer is a senior journalist and political analyst. Views personel.)

Yoga’s Evolution: A Timeless Journey

Shraddha Deshpande
Jul 24, 2025
3 min read

Yoga is not just a practice—it is a way of life, a timeless guide to living with awareness, compassion, and harmony.

Yoga, an ancient practice rooted deeply in Indian tradition, continues to gain global recognition for its holistic benefits for body, mind, and spirit. While the exact origins of yoga are shrouded in the mists of time, traces of its existence date back at least 5,000 years. Some historians even suggest that it could be as old as 10,000 years. The evolution of yoga is often studied through four broad historical periods, each shaping its form and philosophy in unique ways.

Four Historical Stages

1. The Vedic Period

This period is considered the earliest phase of yoga. It is closely associated with the Vedas—the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda, some of the world's oldest sacred texts. The Rigveda contains hymns in praise of divine forces, often considered the spiritual seeds from which the roots of yoga sprouted. The practices during this era were more ritualistic and meditative, often focused on connecting with the cosmos through devotion and sacrifice.

2. The Pre-Classical Period

Following the Vedic era, this phase includes the technique found in the Upanishads and Vedanta—the philosophical conclusions of the Vedas. This period marks a shift from external rituals to inner contemplation and self-realisation. It introduced concepts like the Atman (soul), Brahman (universal spirit), and the interconnectedness of all life. These ideas laid groundwork for what would later evolve into the philosophical foundation of yoga.

3. The Classical Period

Often considered the golden age of yoga, this period saw the first systematic presentation of yoga philosophy by Sage Patanjali in his seminal work, the Yoga Sutras, written between the 3rd and 6th centuries BCE. Patanjali outlined the eight limbs of yoga (Ashtanga Yoga), which include ethical disciplines (Yama and Niyama), physical postures (Asana), breath control (Pranayama), withdrawal of the senses (Pratyahara), concentration (Dharana), meditation (Dhyana), and absorption or enlightenment (Samadhi). This classical framework continues to influence modern yoga practice and philosophy.

4. The Post-Classical Period

Spanning from the time after Patanjali to the modern day, this phase includes a variety of interpretations and practices of yoga. It gave rise to Hatha Yoga, Tantra, and other branches that focused more on the body as a vehicle for spiritual transformation. This period is also marked by integrating yoga into everyday life and adapting to changing social and cultural contexts.

Yoga in the Modern Era

In the late 19th century, yoga began to reach a global audience. A significant milestone in this journey was Swami Vivekananda’s address at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, where he introduced the profound spiritual philosophy of yoga and Vedanta to the Western world. Since then, yoga has gained universal appeal, transcending boundaries of culture and religion.

Indian Philosophy and Darshana

In Indian intellectual tradition, philosophy is known as Darshana, a Sanskrit term meaning "vision" or "insight into the true nature of reality." Indian philosophy is broadly categorised into two streams—Astika, which accepts authority of the Vedas, and Nastika, which does not.

Among the Astika schools, six classical systems stand out:

• Purva Mimamsa

• Vedanta

• Nyaya (logic and epistemology)

• Vaisheshika (metaphysics)

• Sankhya (cosmic dualism)

• Yoga

Of these, yoga aligns most closely with the Sankhya school, sharing its metaphysical framework while offering a practical discipline for self-realisation. Through physical, mental, and ethical practices, yoga serves as a path toward inner liberation—a vision central to the Indian philosophical quest.

The Diverse Paths of Yoga

Though the goal of yoga is universal—union with the self and the divine—different individuals resonate with different paths, depending on their temperament and lifestyle. The primary paths include

Jnana Yoga—the path of wisdom and self-inquiry

Bhakti Yoga—the path of devotion and love

Karma Yoga—the path of selfless action

Raja Yoga—the path of meditation and discipline

Hatha Yoga—the physical aspect of yoga, including postures and breathing

Mantra Yoga—the path of sound and vibration

Each path offers a unique approach, but ultimately, all lead to the same destination—inner peace, self-awareness, and spiritual liberation.

(The writer is a yoga educator and researcher based in Pune.)