Buoyed by the predictions of exit polls for Assembly elections in Rajasthan, the Congress on Friday, 7 December, said the polls are clearly suggesting people are endorsing it as an alternative in the state and that the BJP is on back foot.
However, the Bharatiya Janata Party denied such claims and said the exit polls have been consistently under-projecting the BJP's tally in all elections since 2014.
The exit polls on Friday predicted a win for the Opposition party in Rajasthan.
‘Anger Against BJP Palpable’
Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot, who is also party's contender for the top post in Rajasthan, said "The anger was very palpable against the BJP in these elections and people were willing and happy to accept the blueprint given by the Congress. People want answers for questions which they have avoided for the last five years as price rise, farmers in distress, economy is collapsing."
Pilot added, “Our all leaders and workers toiled for the last five years and the party president Rahul Gandhi launched the election campaign in August. That all will deliver on December 11 when the election results are declared. The public welcomed our ‘Jan Ghoshna Patra’ (Rajasthan Congress’ election manifesto) and not only we exposed the Vasundhara Raje government but also held it accountable and presented an alternative to people.”
“The exit polls are indicating towards strong majority of the Congress and the party will form the government.”Sachin Pilot, Senior Congress Leader
"It is very easy to see that the BJP is in back foot in all these five state Assembly polls and the Congress is giving an alternative which most people are endorsing and that is the take away from these exit polls," he added.
However, Pilot said it would be better to wait for 11 December to see the final results and added people are rejecting their propaganda-driven politics.
However, the Bharatiya Janata Party denied such claims and said the exit polls have been consistently under-projecting the BJP's tally in all elections since 2014.
"The Congress can bask in gloat on exit poll results but this happy feeling would be short-lived," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said.
Meanwhile, Congress’ other contender for the chief minister’s chair, Ashok Gehlot, also exuded confidence.
“I am sure the voters have given their aashirvad (blessings) to the Congress. We are forming the government,” he said.
As per a report in NDTV, Gehlot, on being asked whether he thought Pilot would make a good chief minister, said: "It is a hypothetical question. I will not put a question mark on anyone's capabilities. You should not ask me that.”
"The high command will decide what role who will work in. No post is priority for me," he added.
Last month, the Congress had refused to pick between the two and had both contest the Assembly polls.
Asked about the prospects of the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh, which went to the polls Friday, along with Telangana and Mizoram, Congress Leader Shashi Tharoor said he was quite confident of the party winning at the hustings as people were 'disillusioned' with Modi's rule.
(With input from PTI and IANS)
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