Exit polls will again prove wrong; SP-Congress will win: Lalu

Trashing exit poll projections on likely winners of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Friday said the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will form the next government in the state.

"I don't believe in exit polls as these have failed every time. This time also, the exit polls will fail. I have campaigned there and I understand the pulse of the people," the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader told the media here a day ahead of counting of votes on Saturday.

"I have full confidence that the SP-Congress alliance will get a majority and it will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh," the former Bihar Chief Minister said, a day after the exit polls projected a clear edge for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the SP-Congress alliance in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

The RJD chief said: "The BJP leaders have realised there is no Modi wave in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP will also taste defeat in Punjab, Goa and Uttarakhand."

He said the BJP defeat in Uttar Pradesh assembly polls will have a political impact the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Lalu said that in 2015, all exit polls had shown the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance leading over the Grand Alliance of Janata Dal-United, RJD and the Congress in Bihar assembly polls.

"The exit polls announced BJP's victory, but in reality the BJP was defeated and our Grand Alliance formed the government in Bihar," the RJD chief remarked.

Lalu said even on the counting day for the Bihar assembly elections, some news channels had telecast that the BJP was leading and the Grand Alliance was set for defeat.

Lalu had campaigned for the Congress and Samajwadi Party candidates in Uttar Pradesh, particularly the eastern parts bordering Bihar, to ensure the BJP's defeat.

--IANS

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