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Opposition ridicules exit polls outcome

Kashmir Times. Dated: 5/21/2019 1:48:01 PM

Recalls 2004, 2009 exit polls

NEW DELHI, May 20(Agencies): At present, the exit poll figures reflect that the reign of the world's biggest democracy might once again fall back into the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The numbers, however, predict a crisis for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) which may grab only 70 seats. Even the alliance of all the other parties may not win more than a total of 133 Lok Sabha seats.

As the predictions give a boost to the BJP's 'Abki baar, 300 paar' claim, most of the opposition leaders have ridiculed the polls and believe that the exit poll figures are making erroneous claims.
West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee tweeted that she doesn't trust the exit poll and that people are being manipulated. She added that the game plan is to manipulate or replace thousands of EVMs through this gossip. She appealed to all the opposition parties to be united, strong and bold and said that they will fight this battle together.
Miffed with exit poll predictions, the Trinamool Congress is busy with post-poll calculations based on reports received from the districts, a senior party leader said Monday.
Dismissing the exit poll predictions, he said, "We do not have to worry about these exit poll reports, which in most cases do not match.
"We have our internal party report. We also have reports from districts and each and every constituency."
The TMC leadership is also in talks with various opposition parties in the country, party sources said.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu questioned the exit polls. He tweeted, "Time and again exit polls have failed to catch the people's pulse. Exit polls have proved to be incorrect and far from ground reality in many instances. While undoubtedly TDP government will be formed in AP, we are confident that non-BJP parties will form a non-BJP government at the centre."
Holding a press conference, Chandrababu Naidu said "The TDP will win for sure. The TDP has been conducting surveys for the past 35 years. Surveys are done in each election. The magazines make surveys and parties make surveys...there is no need for any doubt. The TDP government is coming back."
"I believe the exit polls are all wrong. In Australia last weekend, 56 different exit polls proved wrong. In India, many people don’t tell pollsters the truth fearing they might be from the Government. Will wait till 23rd for the real results", said Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.
Congress leader Milind Deora said that he has always refrained from commenting on exit polls and that in his experience, they are usually inconsistent with final results. He added that he patiently waits for the actual results on May 23.
Although Congress won the state assembly election in December 2018, the figures obtained show that its performance has not been up to the mark. Another state where the Congress won in December 2018 was Chhattisgarh. This state too does not have any good news for the Congress.
Political analyst and Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav expressed his disappointment on Congress's failed performance. He tweeted, "The Congress must die. If it could not stop the BJP in this election to save the idea of India, this party has no positive role in Indian history. Today it represents the single biggest obstacle to the creation of an alternative."
On BJP's victory, Omar Abdullah said that every single exit poll can’t be wrong. He tweeted, "Time to switch off the TV, log out of social media and wait to see if the world is still spinning on its axis on the 23rd."
BSP supremo Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met in Lucknow on Monday after exit polls indicated gains for their alliance in the politically important state of Uttar Pradesh.
The SP-BSP combine has refused to comment on the predictions of the exit polls. Sources in the SP and BSP suggest that the mahagathbandhan is not fazed by the results of the exit polls.
The SP-BSP-RLD alliance is sticking to its internal predictions as it believes that voters have come out in droves to support the UP mahagathbandhan.
AAP candidate from South Delhi, Raghav Chadha claimed that exit polls are showing a hyped up tally for the BJP, which will be used to rig the EVMs. He said no one will question the actual results this way. He alleged that exit polls are being used to fix EVM machines.
The Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that one should not speculate on the results of the exit polls.
He said there is no concern about the Left Front government's performance in Kerala and denied the Sabarimala row having any effect on the outcome of the Lok Sabha election.
The Karnataka Chief Minister and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy questioned the reliability of EVMs after the exit poll results came in.
"Worldwide, even developed countries have opted for traditional polls through paper ballots. The exit poll surveys on May 19 only reiterated the serious concern of the Opposition parties on misuse of vulnerable EVMs for electoral gains by the ruling party. Exit polls are being used to create an impression that there is still a Modi wave in the country. This artificially engineered or manufactured Modi wave is being used by the BJP to lure regional parties well in advance to fill any shortfall after the results on May 23," HD Kumaraswamy wrote on Twitter.
Despite a positive prediction for the DMK in Tamil Nadu, party chief MK Stalin refused to celebrate the exit poll results.
"We don’t consider or accept media exit polls no matter which way it sways. Like our leader Kalaignar [M Karunanidhi] has said earlier, we only believe in people’s results and that’s what we are eagerly waiting for," MK Stalin said.
Sanjay Singh of the AAP said that exit polls are only meant to mislead the public. He said that the AAP was confident of winning all 7 seats in Delhi.
He tweeted, "If TV analysts have some shame, they should remember the exit poll results of 2004 Lok Sabha elections as well as those of the 2013 and 2015 Delhi state elections, the 2018 Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan elections. Even in 2019, your campaign to make the BJP win will fail."
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has rejected the various exit polls, saying their accuracy was suspect and he expected the Congress to do much better both at the national level and in the state.