A day before the counting of votes after the conclusion of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday questioned the veracity of exit polls, and claimed the agencies conducting them were only trying to create a conducive atmosphere in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Akhilesh Yadav refused to accept the ‘exit poll’ as true predictions that show that the BJP is going to get a resounding mandate in the Lok Sabha polls. He said that the INDIA bloc was, in fact, going to form a government as the people had decided to walk the path of “do or die” like Mahatma Gandhi to topple the BJP.
Addressing a press conference, Akhilesh Yadav attacked the BJP, raking up several issues such as Manipur violence, Lakhimpur violence, Hathras rape case, unemployment, inflation among others. He asserted that the INDIA bloc’s victory will be the victory of the country and its people.
At the press conference ahead of the Lok Sabha poll results on Tuesday, the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh said the INDIA bloc’s victory would be the victory of the country and its people.
“We and you (media) were among the people to strengthen democracy. We have seen they (BJP) did not have people (in their rallies), their tents were empty... nothing was seen in their favour,” Yadav said.
Questioning the exit polls, he alleged that many agencies which conduct exit polls were those which used to do work of booth management for the BJP.
“With the exit polls, agencies are making ‘mahaul’ (conducive atmosphere) in the BJP’s favour,” he said.
“The elections are over. The exit polls are showing many things. The BJP is responsible for many things. They disturbed peace and brotherhood. They conspired to end reservation. They increased crime against women. They made a record of wrong behaviour. They triggered inflation, unemployment. The poor become poorer,” the SP chief added.
Exit polls on Saturday have predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain power for a third straight term, with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance expected to win a big majority in the Lok Sabha polls.
