Congress rejects exit polls, confident of victory in all states

The Congress on Friday brushed aside the exit polls, saying those who do not take lessons from history are condemned to repeat its errors, and cited examples of exit polls after 2009 general elections and Bihar polls in 2015.

The party also said no matter which party would win on Saturday in different states, it would be a victory of democracy, though it maintained that it was "confident of victory in all states".

"Whoever wins tomorrow (Saturday) in the different states, it will be a victory for democracy, it will be a victory for voters...and a victory of India," said Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi while briefing media persons in Parliament complex.

Rejecting the exit polls, Singhvi said: "Those who do not learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeat its errors. 2009 elections are a classic example when most exit polls got it not only wrong but grievously wrong."

"And even those who talked of the Congress party, underestimated its gains by 25-30 per cent," said Singhvi.

"In Bihar less than two years ago, most exit polls gave the alliance 110-115 seats. We got over 180 in the alliance. In Tamil Nadu, pollsters again got it completely wrong," he added.

Singhvi also said: "We are supremely, strongly and comprehensively confident of victory in each of the states on our own and in Uttar Pradesh in the form of alliance."

"But more than that, we are proud that we have fought elections with a straight bat. We have fought elections on the front foot and we have fought elections without resorting to subterfuge, to divisiveness or to manipulation," he added.

Singhvi said: "Diversity is another synonym for India and no exit polls can match the dynamism of Indian diversity, more so in States like UP and Bihar, which even within India are more diverse than other states."

The Congress also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the kind of language he used by during the campaigning for the polls in five states.

"The Prime Minister must be singled out for having acted in a worse proportion to the stature of the office he holds, in worse proportion in terms of cheap tactics, hitting below the belt and analogies which do not behove the high office of the PM."

"They stooped not to conquer but stooping to divide, stooping to debase and devalue, stooping to insult. I think these will remain important takeaways as we await the results," he added.

--IANS

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