Priyanka to Congress workers after exit polls: Don't lose confidence

Priyanka Gandhi

New Delhi: Following the exit polls, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday asked her party workers to not lose confidence. The wake of exit polls predicted BJP's victory and Gandhi urged them to maintain vigil at strong rooms where the EVMs have been stored for counting of votes.

In an audio message released for Congress workers, Priyanka said, "Don't lose confidence over rumours following the exit polls. These are being done to break your confidence. In this situation, your carefulness becomes all the more important. Maintain strict vigil outside strong rooms and be alert at counting centres. We are sure that our hard work will yield result".

Priyanka's message comes after most exit polls in the country predicted a comfortable majority for the BJP-led NDA alliance. After the forecast, opposition parties have also discredited the polling process and alleged irregularities in EVM machines.

Twenty-one parties are visiting the Election Commission to meet officials over the issue, later today.

Various rumours concerning irregularities regarding EVMs and their storage in strong rooms have surfaced in many parts of the country, forcing the Election Commission to issue clarifications.

The Chief Electoral Officer of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday reiterated that polled EVMs are safe in the sealed strong rooms which are under surveillance and also urged people to keep faith in the poll commission.

(With inputs from ANI)

Most exit polls have predicted a majority for the BJP-led NDA, leaving the UPA far behind.

The exit polls on television channels on Monday projected that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will retain power at the Centre again. Most of the pollsters gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi a clear majority in the 543-member Lok Sabha. Polling for seven-phased Lok Sabha elections started on April 11 and concluded on May 19. The much-awaited results of the general elections will be announced on May 23.

BJP's state unit chief Ranjit Dass dismissed the comments and said his party will be winning 10 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state. "We campaigned to increase our tally from the seven seats we had won in 2014 and even before the exit polls came, we were confident of winning ten seats," he said. "The BJP is sure of forming government at the Centre and the Congress is making false and useless allegations as it is going to lose miserably," Dass said.

However, BJP ally BPF's Kokrajhar candidate Pramila Rani Brahma, who is also the state social welfare minister, said the exit polls may be "exaggerated but I am confident of winning from my constituency".

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday doubted the exit poll projections that the BJP-led NDA will
retain power at the Centre, calling them a nautanki (farce), adding the "truth" will be out in two days when counting of votes for Lok Sabha polls is held on May 23. The former Union minister was speaking at an iftaar event in south Mumbai in the evening.

"There is a strange atmosphere in the country today...After 6 pm yesterday, there was a sense of unease after seeing all the TV channels and newspapers. "People have been calling me...I told them that an attempt is being made by those who control the electronic media to present a different view (through the exit polls)... The truth will come out after two days (on May 23)," Pawar said.

The NCP chief said elections will come and go and someone is bound to win or lose.

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