Oppn doubts exit poll projections of an NDA win; BJP says result will be in consonance with predictions

Opposition parties Monday doubted the exit poll projections that the BJP-led NDA will retain power at the Centre, calling it "speculation" and "fraud" and contrary to ground reality but the ruling party asserted that the final result will be in consonance with the predictions.

Exit polls Sunday forecast another term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with some of them projecting that the NDA will get more than 300 seats to comfortably cross the majority mark of 272 in the Lok Sabha.

As the exit polls triggered a debate whether it could be right or wrong, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said they are not the "final decision" but indicate that the BJP will once again come to power, riding on the development work done by the NDA government.

"Exit polls are not the final decision, but are indications. But, by and large, what comes out in the exit polls also reflects in the results," Gadkari told reporters in Nagpur.

Counting of votes in the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls will be taken up on May 23.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the results will be in consonance with the outcome of multiple exit polls.

"Many of us may continue to squabble over correctness and accuracy of the Exit Polls. The hard reality is that when multiple Exit Polls convey the same message, the direction of the result broadly would be in consonance with the message," the senior BJP leader said in a blogpost titled 'The Message of Exit Polls'.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said there is no need to rely on "speculations based on speculation".

The CPI-M veteran, who met mediapersons in Thiruvananthapuram soon after he returned from a 13-day Europe trip, exuded confidence that the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) will record an impressive win in Kerala. The exit polls have forecast a poor showing by the ruling Left Front.

"There have been many instances earlier when the exit polls have failed to accurately predict the election results. Majority of the exit polls in 2004 had predicted continuation of NDA rule at the Centre, but this was proved wrong. So there is no need to rely on speculations based on speculation."