Congress Dismisses Exit Poll Projections
A day after exit polls painted a favourable picture for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Uttarakhand, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi declared that his party’s alliance with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh would emerge as a clear winner. Gandhi also seemed to question the authenticity of exit polls, adding that he “had seen how exit polls were presented” before Bihar in 2016.
Exit Polls Fudged Data
A similar mood prevailed over SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, who dismissed exit polls as ‘nonsensical’. Yadav, who had fallen out with SP patriarch Mulayam, also asserted that poll estimates were “fabricated under pressure from certain groups.”
BJP Upbeat
Strengthened by favourable exit polls, the BJP appeared rather confident of a victory in UP and Manipur. Party lawmaker and firebrand leader Yogi Adiyanath noted how exit polls had confirmed his party’s stand that it would win in all five states. Similarly, party National General Secretary Ram Madhav predicted a ‘historic’ win for the BJP in Manipur. When asked about SP’s willingness to join hands with BSP after polls, both leaders agreed that “Akhilesh had conceded defeat” even before official numbers are out.
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