Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Congress counters 'BJP sponsored' exit polls with I.N.D.I.A. bloc's projected 'wins'
New Delhi: In a bid to counter the exit polls predicting a massive win for the BJP, Congress on Sunday fielded around ten state party chiefs or legislature party leaders to present their calculations on the results, which painted a favourable picture for the I.N.D.I.A bloc.
Anchored by Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh, the leaders joined the online meeting, which was open to media, and targeted the exit polls as 'BJP sponsored', while also expressing confidence that Congress and its allies will perform well contrary to predictions. I.N.D.I.A bloc has predicted it will get at least 295 seats.
Karnataka Congress chief and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the Congress will win two-third of the 28 seats, with Ramesh explaining that it meant 18 seats. Sources said Congress assessment in Karnataka is 15-18 seats though several exit polls predicted BJP getting over 20 seats.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Sukhu said Congress has an edge in two of the four seats that are witnessing tough fights. He said Union Minister Anurag Thakur is facing a tough battle this time. “Exit polls and field polls are different,” he said even as exit polls gave BJP all four seats.
Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra said Congress and I.N.D.I.A allies are clearly ahead in 11-12 seats while eight are witnessing a close contest and BJP is ahead in around five seats. The exit polls had given around 18-20 seats to BJP while giving the rest to the Congress.
In Maharashtra, party chief Nana Patole insisted that Congress alone is winning 16 seats while the Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA) altogether will win 40 of the 48 seats. Sources said veteran leader Sharad Pawar had told I.N.D.I.A leaders in a meeting on Saturday that MVA could win 26 though Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Anil Desai put that number at 33 in the same meeting.
Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh claimed his party will win 6-7 out of nine seats it is contesting while the I.N.D.I.A could win at least 20 of the 40 seats, a number shared by RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav at the Saturday meeting.
In Punjab where Congress and AAP are fighting against each other, party’s legislature party leader Partap Singh Bajwa insisted that NDA will not get a single seat. He expressed confidence in Congress winning nine seats and AAP one while the rest three could go to non-I.N.D.I.A candidates who are anti-BJP.
While UP Congress chief Ajay Rai refused to give a number though he said the I.N.D.I.A will win big, Haryana Congress president Uday Bhan said the I.N.D.I.A bloc is sure of winning at least eight out of ten seats. Sources said the Congress assessment is that the party could win 4-7 seats.
In Gujarat, party chief Shaktisinh Gohil said there is a “tight” fight in a dozen seats and it could easily win 4-5 seats. He said AAP is giving a “very tight” fight against BJP in Bharuch while in Bhavnagar, it is giving a “good” fight.
Assam Congress chief Bhupen Bora has given his party seven of 14 seats. He said the exit polls were giving four seats but the factional fight between old BJP and new BJP – Sarbananda Sonowal versus Himanta Biswas Sarma – would benefit the I.N.D.I.A alliance.
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