Opposition leaders reject ‘pro-BJP exit polls’, call it ‘bogus’

Congress estimates

During his zoom call interaction with Ramesh, Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah said that his party would win at least seven seats in the state. He said that alleged internal squabbling in the BJP and the impact of the INDIA bloc had benefitted the Congress.

The leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa said all the surveys have given 7-9 seats to the Congress.

"We are ahead on 9 seats, 1 seat will go to the AAP and 3 seats will be won by the candidates who will not in any way help the NDA or PM. The INDIA alliance will get a minimum of 10 seats...In Punjab, the NDA is not going to get even a single seat," he said.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the Congress has an edge on two parliamentary seats and is in a tight contest on the two other seats in the hill state. He exuded confidence that the Congress was also winning the six assembly seats where the bypolls have taken place.

Congress guarantees in Karnataka

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that his party would win at least two-third of the 28 seats on the back of the popularity of the guarantees the Congress fulfilled after coming to power in the state.

Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh said that his party would definitely win 6-7 seats out of 9 seats it contested in the state.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, Haryana state unit chief Udai Bhan, Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra and Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajai Rai also said their performance in their respective states will be far better than the projections made in the exit polls.

The unusual interaction before the media came a day after the exit polls on Saturday predicted that Prime Minister Modi will retain power for a third straight term, with the BJP-led NDA expected to win a big majority in the Lok Sabha polls.

Several exit polls, which were aired on Saturday evening, predicated a comfortable majority for the BJP-led NDA.

Counting of votes for the Lok Sabha polls will be held on Tuesday (June 4). While India Today-Axis My India has forecast 361-401 seats for the BJP-led alliance and 131-166 seats for the opposition INDIA bloc in the 543-member Lok Sabha, the ABP-C Voter predicted 353-383 seats for the ruling alliance and 152-182 seats for the INDIA bloc.

Psychological game

All the state leaders, who spoke at the virtual interaction, debunked the exit polls as part of a psychological game being played by the BJP to "reduce the morale of the Congress workers".

Slamming the exit polls, Ramesh said the exit polls were "completely bogus" and a "deliberate attempt" to justify rigging of the elections.

He said they were part of "psychological games" being played by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lower the morale of the INDIA bloc workers.

Manufactured at home: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the exit poll predictions were not consistent with the ground reality as they were “manufactured at home” two months back.

She claimed that such exit polls have no value, and criticised the press for showing them. “We had seen how the exit polls were conducted in 2016, 2019 and 2021. None of the predictions turned out to be true,” she told TV9-Bangla.

“These exit polls were manufactured at home by some people two months back for the media consumption. They have no value,” she added.

Banerjee said the response of the people at her rallies did not corroborate the exit polls predictions. “The way BJP tried polarisation and spread false information that Muslims were taking away quotas of SC, ST and OBCs, I don’t think Muslims will vote for the BJP. And, I think the CPI(M) and Congress helped the BJP in West Bengal,” she said.

Most of the exit polls have predicted that the BJP will get more seats than the TMC in the state.

Akhilesh Yadav questions exit polls

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav too questioned the veracity of the exit polls, saying the Opposition had already said that "pro-BJP media" would show the ruling party crossing 300 seats in the Lok Sabha.

The exit polls, which had been prepared months before and are only being shown on TV channels now, would create scope for "fraud", Yadav alleged.

He further alleged that using the exit polls, the BJP wanted to benefit from the share market which opens on Monday, and added that "disappointed faces" of BJP leaders are telling the truth.

"Monitor EVMs"

Insisting that the INDIA bloc was winning the Lok Sabha polls, the SP chief also called on the candidates and their poll agents to closely "monitor" the EVMs on counting day.

"Understand the chronology of the exit poll. The opposition had already said that pro-BJP media would show the BJP crossing 300 seats that would create the scope for fraud. Today's pro-BJP exit poll was prepared many months ago, the channels just aired it now. People's public opinion is being deceived through this exit poll," Yadav said in a post on X.

He said that BJP leaders are realising that the result of the whole country cannot be changed like the Chandigarh mayoral election because this time the opposition is fully alert and public anger is also at its peak.

"Corrupt officials who are in cahoots with BJP are also not able to muster the courage to rig the elections after seeing an active Supreme Court, and they also do not want to become a victim of public anger," the SP chief said.

All the workers, office bearers and candidates of INDIA bloc should not make even one per cent mistake in monitoring the EVMs, Yadav said and added that the opposition alliance is winning the polls.

"That is why remain alert and get the counting done and celebrate the victory only after official certification," he said.

Baseless, say Kerala leaders

The ruling Left in Kerala and the Congress rejected as "baseless" the exit poll predictions which said that the BJP-led NDA will also open its account in the state where it has not had an MP in the past.

The LDF also termed the predictions as "suspicious" and "politically motivated", while the Congress said that there is no need to believe the exit polls as they have been proved wrong in the past.

LDF convener and veteran CPI(M) leader E P Jayarajan said the exit poll predictions were not arrived at through some scientific findings or experiments, "it was not based on public sentiments" and was not an observation following a proper analysis of the elections.

"I suspect it is politically motivated. All the exit polls have taken a stand that repeats and strengthens what the BJP has been saying till now (about the poll results). That is what makes it even more suspicious," he told a TV channel.

No faith in exit polls

A similar view was expressed by senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who said that he will not accept exit polls which based on a sample size of 1,000 people make predictions about how lakhs of people voted.

"We have no faith in the exit polls. There is no need to believe in them. There is a strong public sentiment against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the country. We firmly believe that the INDIA bloc will win and that it will reach the figure of 295 predicted by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge," he said.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran and his party colleague K Muraleedharan were also confident that the UDF will win all 20 seats in Kerala and that BJP will not get even one. They, too, said that exit polls have been wrong in the past.

The LDF convener Jayarajan said that Kerala was a secular state with a new generation that was highly educated and secular in its outlook.

No communal party in Kerala

"Kerala society does not wish for a communal party to come here," he added.

His party colleague and CPI(M) Central Committee member A K Balan, was also of the view that the BJP would not open its account in Kerala and that it would not get a majority at the national level."We cannot believe that the BJP will come back to power based on the exit polls. The predictions are a lie and have no connection with reality," he said.

He further said that all the seats from Kerala will go to the INDIA bloc, but the exact share of the LDF and UDF will be clear only after results come on June 4. However, Balan was confident that LDF would have a good show in Kerala. On whether BJP will win in Thrissur, the CPI(M) leader said it was not possible, but if it happens, then the Congress would have to be blamed for it. The BJP has fielded actor Suresh Gopi in Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency.

On Saturday, CPI National Council Secretary Binoy Viswam said on social media platform 'X' that the exit polls were "orchestrated" predictions that were part of a pre-designed strategy.

He had also said, while speaking to PTI, that exit polls were run by corporate houses, who have a political affinity for the BJP at their core.

Corporate game and fraud, says Raut

Meanwhile, MP Sanjay Raut described the exit polls as a "corporate game and a fraud" and claimed there was pressure on the media companies which conduct it.

Speaking to reporters, the Rajya Sabha member claimed the opposition INDIA bloc will win 295 to 310 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha and form government. Raut also said they do not require the exit polls as they work on the field and know the "undercurrent".

Raut claimed, "There is lot of pressure on these media companies. The exit poll exercise is a corporate game and a fraud." "Do these companies conduct exit polls for free?" he asked. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader claimed the opposition INDIA alliance will win 295 to 310 seats.

"This is not an exit poll but the figures are taken through a people's poll," he said.

In Maharashtra, the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which comprises the Uddhav Thackeray-headed Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), will win more than 35 seats out of the total 48, Raut said.

"The Shiv Sena will maintain its 2019 tally of 18 seats and the Congress and NCP will also do well. (NCP(SP) Lok Sabha member) Supriya Sule will win in Baramati by more than 1.5 lakh votes and the Congress will deliver its best performance," he said.

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Karnataka will bring a change in the country along with Maharashtra, Raut claimed.

"We don't require exit polls, we are working on the field. We understand the undercurrent," he said.

"The INDIA bloc will win 35 seats (out of 80) in UP and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (headed by Lalu Prasad) will get 16 seats (out of 40) in Bihar," he claimed.

(With inputs from agencies)