The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday dismissed the exit polls predicting a victory for the BJP-led NDA as “bogus” and part of a strategy to justify election rigging and intimidate opposition workers. Gandhi, addressing the media at the AICC headquarters, termed the exit polls as “Modi media poll” and insisted that the INDIA bloc would secure 295 seats.
Gandhi referenced a song by Sidhu Moose Wala, “295,” to assert his prediction of 295 seats for the INDIA bloc. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh also criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meetings as pressure tactics aimed at signaling his return to power and influencing the bureaucracy. Ramesh claimed these meetings were part of psychological games intended to demoralize the INDIA bloc workers.
Exit polls released on Saturday indicated a strong majority for the BJP-led NDA, with India Today-Axis My India forecasting 361-401 seats for the NDA and 131-166 seats for the opposition INDIA bloc in the 543-member Lok Sabha. ABP-C Voter predicted 353-383 seats for the ruling alliance and 152-182 seats for the INDIA bloc.
Ramesh argued that the exit polls were “deliberately engineered” and lacked credibility, stating that in some states, the NDA was shown winning more seats than were available. He insisted that the INDIA bloc would secure no less than 295 seats, dismissing the exit polls as attempts to justify election manipulation and rigging.
Additionally, Ramesh raised concerns about the conduct of the Election Commission, accusing it of not taking credible action on complaints filed by the Congress. He emphasized the need for the Election Commission to function impartially and professionally, expressing hope for a fair counting process on June 4.
The Congress leader also highlighted issues raised by Congress treasurer Ajay Maken regarding the exclusion of candidates’ counting agents from the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) table and concerns over the counting of postal ballots. The party has filed multiple complaints with the Election Commission over these matters, seeking assurances of a fair process.
Ramesh reiterated that the exit polls were part of a psychological operation by Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, aimed at lowering the morale of opposition workers. He maintained that the actual election results would differ significantly from the exit poll predictions, and the INDIA bloc was poised for a significant win.