Oppn unimpressed, BJP confident

Exit polls trigger furious debate

PATNA/NEW DELHI: 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.

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.

Finance Minister Arun Jait

ley said the results will be in consonance with the outcome of multiple exit polls.

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said there is no need to rely on “speculations based on speculation”.

Rejecting the exit polls as a “fraud”, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said they are simply compulsions of the market purveyed through a different name.

Unfazed by exit polls projections, the Mamata Banerjee

led TMC exuded confidence that it would play a major role in the formation of a new government for which it is in touch with various opposition parties.

Deputy CM and Congress leader G Parameshwara raised doubts over the EVMS, claiming that the BJP had sponsored the exit polls as the ground reality was different.

Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami made light of the exit polls suggesting a poor showing by the AIADMK, saying they were more of “imposing of opinion” and that the predictions will be proved wrong.

DMK President M K Stalin said he does not take the projections seriously and would wait for three days to know the people’s mandate.

Two days ahead of the Lok Sabha poll results, top opposition leaders will meet in the national capital on Tuesday to discuss the political situation and possibilities of a non-nda alliance to stake claim for government formation.

Opposition leaders will also meet the Election Commission and raise the issue of tallying the paper trail of votes with the electronic voting machine figures.

NEW DELHI: Two days ahead of the Lok Sabha poll results, top opposition leaders will meet in the national capital on Tuesday to discuss the political situation and possibilities of a non-nda alliance to stake claim for government formation.

As part of his efforts to unite the opposition, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu held a meeting with his West Bengal counterpart, Mamata Banerjee, at her Kolkata residence on forming a non-bjp government at the Centre in case of a hung verdict.

Naidu had a 45-minute meeting with Banerjee on the future strategies of the "Mahagathbandhan" (Grand Alliance), during which he also discussed the possibilities of forming a non-bjp government, including regional parties, with the support of the Congress.

"It was decided at the meeting that a detailed discussion will be held with other players of the Mahagathbandhan in the event of a hung verdict after the poll results are declared on May 23," a source said.

The decision on Banerjee going to New Delhi would also be taken after May 23, the source added.

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav also telephoned Banerjee during the day and discussed the strategy of the "Mahagathbandhan", sources said.

Naidu has been moving around across the country and has held several rounds of discussions with top opposition leaders in a bid to unite them and form an alliance to stake claim to form the next government in case the NDA falls short of the majority mark.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief met Banerjee again on Monday evening to discuss the political scenario in the wake of the exit poll predictions.

On Sunday, Naidu met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi separately in New Delhi, besides NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. The TDP leader has already met other top opposition leaders such as Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal, Left leaders and Sharad Yadav in Delhi.

Meanwhile, Akhilesh and Mayawati also held a meeting and discussed their strategy going forward.

However, in view of the exit polls, most of which have predicted a majority for the Bjp-led NDA, the opposition has turned a bit cautious and decided not to hold any formal meetings.

Top Congress leaders also held a meeting under the guidance of Sonia Gandhi on Saturday, where the current political situation was discussed.

Sources said the opposition strategy was to procure letters of support from various parties and in case of a hung verdict, to present the same before the president to stake claim to form the government.

They added that the opposition did not want to leave anything to chance and did not wish to waste any time in staking claim for government formation and thus, was putting its house in order.

Notwithstanding the exit poll predictions, the opposition is going ahead with its strategy as most parties have trashed the forecast and claimed that the NDA would not get a majority in the Lok Sabha.

Opposition leaders are citing previous examples when exit polls were proved wrong, as also elsewhere in the world

like the surprise result in Australia.

Opposition leaders will also meet the Election Commission (EC) and raise the issue of tal

lying the paper trail of votes (VVPATS) with the electronic voting machine (EVM) figures as directed by the Supreme Court.

The opposition parties are demanding tallying of VVPAT slips with EVM figures in an entire Assembly constituency in case a discrepancy is found in any polling booth.