Exit Polls: BJP Confident Of More, Congress Remains Hopeful
What the Congress and BJP make of the exit poll results...
The exit polls predict that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party will return to power with majority and the Congress will be decimated again.
The BJP’s tally would exceed all exit poll predictions, Sunil Deodhar, national secretary at the BJP, told BloombergQuint. Exit polls, he said, are an indicator of the country’s mood.
The BJP will form the government on its own. The party will cross the 300 mark, while the NDA will touch 375.Sunil Deodhar, National Secretary, BJP
Shaina NC, also from the BJP, said the exit poll results were a testament to Modi’s leadership style. “This mandate is for stability, a strong leader and good governance,” she said. “The Indian voter has chosen PM Modi over chaos and mayhem.”
The Congress, on the other hand, remains defiant. The BJP will lose a substantial number of seats when the results are declared on May 23, Salman Soz, a party spokesman, said. Given the mixed record of exit polls, one has to take them with a tablespoon full of salt, he said.
I don’t think the BJP will be in government on its own. There will be a degree of instability in the new government.Salman Soz, Spokesperson, Congress
Brijesh Kalappa, Soz’s party colleague and also a spokesman, agreed. The Congress will consolidate its position in states where it is currently in power, he said. This despite exit polls giving the Congress very few seats in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The combined vote share of the Congress and the JD(S) is more than enough to defeat the BJP in Karnataka. Even if the coalition hasn’t worked, it would only be in two constituencies of Mandya and Mysuru out of the 28.Brijesh Kalappa, Spokesperson, Congress
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday sought to bolster the morale of party workers, asking them not to be disheartened by "rumours" and exit poll results and urged them to be alert at their respective polling booths.
Issuing a recorded audio message for Congress workers, Priyanka Gandhi said they should not fall prey to "rumours and exit poll trends, which are being promoted to undermine the spirits of Congress persons", PTI reported.
Don’t be disheartened with rumours and exit polls. These are crafted to undermine your spirits. Because of all this your alertness becomes all the more important. Be on your guard on strong rooms and counting centres. We are sure our and your hard work will bear fruit.Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, General Secretary, Congress
Watch the interaction here:
With inputs from PTI