Exit polls projections that the NDA will form the next government were welcomed by BJP but dismissed by Congress, BSP, SP. JDU and others. Congress said the parties should await the poll results on Friday, citing how such an exercise in 2004 and 2009 went wrong.
Rejecting exit poll projections for Lok Sabha elections, Congress said the projections will be proved wrong after counting of votes on Friday. Briefing reporters in New Delhi, party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the exit and opinion polls have been proved wrong many times in the past. Singhvi said such exit polls can not be credible and up to the mark in a big and diverse country like India.
BJP said the results of exit polls are not correct and the party expects to surpass the 300 mark.
Addressing media persons in New Delhi, party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said people voted enthusiastically for the BJP-led NDA this time as they want a stable government at the Centre. He also said that with exit polls projecting a majority for the BJP-led NDA, Congress will now find a scapegoat in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in its attempt to save Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi from criticism.
Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley took a jibe at Congress, saying if the ruling party is finding it difficult to accept reality now they should accept defeat on May 16.
Senior NCP leader and Union Minister Praful Patel said people's mandate has to be respected as the country has to move forward. On the possible outcome of the Lok Sabha elections, he told reporters in New Delhi today that one may call it exit poll or opinion poll the general view is that BJP will emerge as the single largest party. But, the question is how close they are able to come to the halfway mark, or, if they want any ally. All this will become clear on May 16. But a stable and good government is good for the country, he said.
Asked if his party would support NDA if it falls short of
the half-way mark of 272 seats, Patel said no conjecture
should be drawn against NCP or it taking any sides. He said , NCP was part of UPA. The alliance had a mandate for 10 years and it has done whatever it could in the best interest of the country.
JDU leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dismissed the Exit Poll projections. Talking to reporters in Patna he said the results should be waited for. Exit poll projected around five out of 40 seats for JD(U) and between 20 to 25 for the BJP in Bihar.
In Uttar Pradesh, Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party rejected the prediction of Exit Polls in the Lok Sabha elections. Talking to AIR, Samajwadi Party spokesperson and Minister Rajendra Chaudhari said that all exit polls are only a gimmick and they do not represent the real mood of the people. He expressed hope that his party will fare far better than the projection by the exit polls. A senior BSP leader refused to comment on the exit poll results but he said that in the past too these exit polls have proved to be far off the mark in 2007 and 2012 assembly elections and other occasions.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah also dismissed the projections as a great time pass.
