Congress trashes exit polls, BJP says Cong "demoralised"

Various exit polls on TV channels have predicted that the BJP is poised to win three states--Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh

Press Trust of India New Delhi/Bhopal
Last Updated : Dec 05 2013 | 6:37 PM IST

The exit polls that predicted a strong showing for BJP in four states in yesterday's crucial Assembly polls were today rubbished by Congress as one which has "no meaning" while the saffron party said it appears to be "completely demoralised".

Various exit polls on TV channels have predicted that the BJP is poised to win three states--Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh-- and will lead in Delhi.

AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh refused to accept either the merit of the exit polls or the contention that the results of the assembly polls prove BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's rise in the next Lok Sabha polls.

"There is no meaning in such exit poll results and they deserve to be consigned to dustbin," he told reporters.

Digvijay's son Jaiwardhan said exit polls are unreliable and are error-prone.

BJP said Congress is demoralised at the prospect of losing the Assembly polls and may fail to respond to this crisis as it continues to be dependent on one dynasty for its survival.

In his Facebook post, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said that though the exit polls have their limitations and a margin of error cannot be ruled out, the outcome indicates a trend.

"Congress appears to be completely demoralised...If this is the demoralisation that the exit polls give to the Congress, I wonder what would happen when the actual results come in," Jaitley said. Counting of votes will be taken up on Sunday.

"Unless the Congress responds to this reality, it will never find the correct answers. The relevance of charisma of a dynasty is never a long term answer in politics. When the political parties become a crowd around a family, the strength of the party becomes synonymous with the capacity of that family," Jaitley said.

Noting that Congress has become a dynastic party, he said if the dynasty cannot deliver, the party fails.

"Observing this party closely, I have no doubt that they will not ask the right questions. Unless they ask the right questions, they will not get the right answers. I will not be surprised, considering the traditional thinking of the Congress, if their solution to the problem is 'if one member of the family fails, let us try another'," Jaitley said.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said she neither believes in exit polls nor agrees with projections made about her losing power.

"I don't believe in exit polls and I don't believe in your projections (made by TV channels," she said, adding, " I am relaxed".
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Dec 05 2013 | 6:07 PM IST

Next Story