Moily rubbishes exit polls, says Cong will get majority in K'taka

Dismissing exit polls that have predicted a hung Assembly or a BJP lead in the just-concluded Karnataka election, senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily today claimed that his party would get a simple majority in the southern state.

"If the people have voted for performance, I think the Congress should get it. I think in all probability, we will at least get a simple majority," the former Union minister told PTI, a day before the counting of votes in Karnataka.

On the options before the Congress if it falls short of the required numbers, the former Karnataka chief minister said: "Only tomorrow, can we tell (after the results are out)".

Moily claimed that earlier, the exit polls were conducted by experts and professionals, but these days, such exercises were "very much influenced by their (the TV channels') own particular affiliations".

Asked if the Congress was ready to join hands with the JD(S), led by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, who is expected to be the kingmaker in Karnataka in case of a fractured verdict, he said he did not want to comment as he strongly felt that his party would get a simple majority.

Stating that the Congress ran a positive campaign in the run-up to the polls, Moily alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in contrast, ran a negative campaign, resorting to personal attacks against Congress leaders.

"...(if) negativity can fetch positive results (for the BJP), god alone can save the country," he quipped.

Describing Karnataka as a "secular land", the former Union law minister said he did not think the BJP could have a "real, natural growth" in the state.

He declined to comment on Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's statement yesterday that "it is fine if the party decides to have a Dalit chief minister".

"I don't know why has he given such a statement. It is up to him. I do not want to comment on his statement. Let the majority (of the seats) come to the Congress party, then let us discuss who should be the chief minister," Moily said.