Following the exit polls, which forecasted a third consecutive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor dismissed these predictions as laughable, confidently stating that the INDIA bloc would secure 295 seats.
“We are seeing it with skepticism and disbelief because we have also been campaigning throughout the country. We also have a sense of what the pulse of the people is and we don’t believe it is reflected accurately in these polls. Our Congress president, after meeting all the INDIA bloc members, has said that he is convinced that we are getting about 295 for the alliance. I stick to that number.”
He added “If any exit poll can say that the BJP will win up to 7 seats in Kerala – either they are suffering from heatstroke, or they don’t understand Kerala. Some of these exit polls are also laughable for other reasons. I don’t think we should take them seriously.”
Shashi Tharoor said the Congress looked stable, and there was no BJP wave visible. “Thiruvananthapuram is the BJP’s strongest constituency in Kerala, where they have come second twice. While they are capable of coming second again, the possibility of them winning is remote without a basis for it. We found no wave… In a three-cornered contest, there must be either a major anti-incumbency sentiment or something exceptional about the alternative. None of us see any reason for concern. We are quite relaxed going into tomorrow’s counting.”
He expressed confidence that the exit poll numbers will be proven wrong tomorrow, both in Thiruvananthapuram and nationwide.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is set for a third consecutive win in Lok Sabha polls with a massive majority, exit polls predicted on Saturday, suggesting the ruling party would improve its performance in several opposition-ruled states.
Several exit polls have forecasted that the BJP-led NDA might achieve the 400 paar target set by BJP leaders during the lead-up to the Lok Sabha elections.