NEW DELHI, May 31: The Congress on Friday announced that it would not take part in any exit poll debate on television channels on Saturday when it will start some thirty minutes after the end of polling in the seventh and last phase of polling.
The Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said the party has decided not to indulge in speculation and slugfest before the actual results come out on June 4.
“Voters have cast their votes and their verdict have been secured. The results will be out on 4th June. Prior to that, we do not see any reason to indulge in speculation and slugfest for TRP. The Indian National Congress will not participate in the debates on #ExitPolls. The purpose of any debate should be to inform the people. We will happily partake in debates from 4th June onwards,” Pawan Khera posted on X.
Exit polls are predictions based on what voters say after casting their votes. The Election Commission has an embargo till 6.30pm on Saturday after which the exit poll predictions can be published.
Exit polls in India began in 1957. Agencies, pollsters, psephologists prepare the exit poll results and over the years exit polls have become the much-awaited event before the counting day. Television channels hold debates on exit poll predictions where spokespersons deputed by the political parties argue on the exit poll data.
Both instances where exit polls are a hit and a miss are plenty in India’s electoral history. In 2019, exit polls predicted around 285 seats for the NDA but NDA won 353 seats. Exit polls 2024 will predict the results of the Lok Sabha election 2024, assembly elections of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim.
The Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also alerted his party workers against exit polls and urged them not to get misled by them. “Today I am making an extremely important appeal to you. All of you should remain fully alert, vigilant and cautious during the voting tomorrow and also in the days after the voting, till the counting of votes is over and you receive the certificate of victory. Do not get misled by the BJP,” Akhilesh wrote.
“Actually I am making this appeal because the BJP people have made a plan that as soon as the elections are over tomorrow evening, they will start getting their ‘media group (media mandali)’ to say on various channels that the BJP has got a lead of around 300 seats, which is completely false,” Akhilesh added.
The former UP chief minister said BJP will deliberately promote these lies so that opposition do not remain alert on the day of counting. Taking advantage of this, the BJP can rig in the counting, he said.
(Manas Dasgupta)