INDIA Bloc Leaders Rebuff Exit Polls That Predicted A Third Term For NDA, BJP Leaders React

After Exit Polls predicted a third term for the BJP-led NDA government on Saturday, a war of words erupted between the leaders of the saffron party and Congress.

The Congress and other INDIA alliance parties rebuffed the exit polls calling them “far-fetched” and “difficult to believe”. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi went on to say that the exit polls were “Modi-media polls” and expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc would win 295 seats.

Questioning the credibility of the exit polls, the leaders of major opposition parties alleged that they were conducted at the behest of the government as a “deliberate attempt to justify rigging of elections” and were part of PM Modi’s “mind games” to lower the morale of the INDIA bloc workers ahead of counting of votes on June 4.

The News18 Mega Exit Poll suggested that the BJP is likely to win a majority with 305 to 315 seats and Congress might win over 62-72 seats. As per the predictions, NDA will bag victory in Lok Sabha polls by winning 355 to 370, while the Opposition-led INDIA bloc will win 125 to 140 seats.

Exit Poll 2024: Congress Vs BJP

Here’s What Congress Leaders Said About Exit Polls

• Rahul Gandhi said, “This is not an exit poll. This is a ‘Modi-Media’ poll. INDIA alliance is getting 295 seats.”
• West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said, “We had seen how the exit polls were conducted in 2016, 2019 and 2021. None of the predictions had turned out to be true…. these exit polls were manufactured at home by some people two months back for media consumption. They have no value,” the Trinamool Congress chief told a TV channel.”
• Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav said, “Those poor people who are forced to give false statistics on TV screens under the pressure of the government are also saying in hushed tones in their private lives that the BJP is losing. These helpless people are saying that there will be a tough fight in 13 important states when the correct results are declared on June 4 and that the BJP’s presence in the rest of the states is anyway zero.”
• Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, “I can’t take these exit polls very seriously. Last year, the exit polls had us winning Chhattisgarh but when the ballots were counted, we had lost. My view is that the people of Kerala voted on 26 April, they have waited for so many weeks already, they can wait for 2 more days… Some numbers are so far-fetched and difficult to believe that it’s best we wait till the 4th of June.”
• Congress leader Salman Khurshid said, “…We have met people, made some estimations and set some projections. Those projections say that the Government will be formed by us…There are those Exit Polls too which say that Congress is in a very good position…We hope that we form the Government.”

Here’s What BJP Leaders Said About Exit Polls

• BJP leader Shaina NC said, “A person who lives in a fantasy world will speak about fantasy exit poll only. Now it is time for Rahul Gandhi to go on a fantasy holiday because he does not know how exit polls are formed… I want to tell INDI Alliance that it is good to be hopeful but read the writing on the wall… You cannot take away blessings that the people have given to PM Modi. They can take as many names as they want but there is only one prime minister and that is PM Modi… Arvind Kejriwal is going to jail because he is not only an accused but also because the allegations are proven… Now he is doing drama that his health is not good. He was campaigning during bad health but he did not go to a doctor.
• BJP leader Madhavi Latha said, “… First, they (Opposition) boycotted (the exit poll debate) because Rahul Gandhi and the whole crew of the Congress was scared… They came back after 24 hours because Sonia Gandhi must have told Rahul Gandhi to accept the defeat… At the end of the day, the decision is taken by the people of Bharat… PM Modi is there in the hearts of the people.”
• Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said, ” This was supposed to happen…the way PM Modi has done work…I want to thank PM, under his leadership the way the country is moving forward whether it is in terms of economy or security…this country has developed… based on this, people have supported us…”
• Delhi BJP chief Virendraa Sachdeva said, ” If you are calling exit polls, fake, then you are questioning the neutrality of all the media channels and their work…Arvind Kejriwal’s statement is shameful…if he compares himself with Bhagat Singh or Chandra Shekhar Azad, then it is unfortunate…”

Read The Latest Updates On Arvind Kejriwal’s Surrender Here.