‘Bogus, fraudulent’, only to justify rigging: Opposition on exit polls

Even before the elections for the Lok Sabha, there has been widespread apprehension among the opposition parties about the veracity of the constitutional institutions, which they believe have become more aligned with the ruling BJP government to influence the outcome of the elections.

Corroborating these apprehensions were the actions of some of these institutions, including the Election Commission, the Income Tax Department, the Enforcement Directorate, and the Central Bureau of Investigation. On many occasions, these institutions were found to be acting on the instructions of the BJP government, leading to opposition leaders being grilled, jailed, and opposition party funds being seized or accounts frozen, reportedly to paralyze the opposition parties.

There were incidents during the elections where ruling party members breached the Model Code of Conduct by raking up religious issues and making hateful speeches targeting the Muslim community, invoking the religious fervour of believers. Most of these incidents were attributed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yet, no action was taken by the Election Commission, which was accused of taking swift action against opposition leaders on frivolous grounds.

The anticipation of manipulation of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) was also there, with the opposition alliance, the INDIA bloc, having earlier approached the court urging it to pronounce an order for the Election Commission to count the VVPAT slips along with the digital counting.

The latest is the exit poll results, which predict the return of Narendra Modi for the third consecutive time as Prime Minister, with a sweeping victory for the BJP and NDA. However, the opposition parties have adopted a combative stance, dismissing these forecasts as manipulated and urging their supporters to remain vigilant.

On Sunday, June 2, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi engaged with party candidates via video conference, reinforcing their belief that the BJP’s dominance is overstated. The Congress leadership, convinced by their candidates and alliance partners' feedback, remains optimistic about their chances despite the bleak exit poll predictions.

Rahul Gandhi, labelling the exit polls as a "Modi-Media poll," encouraged party members to stay focused until the final vote is counted. The sentiment among opposition leaders is that exit polls are a psychological tool used by the BJP to demoralize their opponents and manipulate public perception.

India’s opposition sought to dismiss the exit poll projections, describing them as “bogus” and “fraudulent,” and alleging they were deliberate attempts to justify the rigging of the elections. Leaders from various parties, including the Samajwadi Party and Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction), have voiced strong scepticism about the integrity of the exit polls, suggesting that they are part of a larger conspiracy.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav emphasized that the exit polls are a strategy to manipulate the vote-counting process. He claimed these polls were designed months in advance and were intended to deceive the public and influence the stock market. Yadav underscored the vigilance of the opposition and the heightened public anger against the BJP, which he believes will play a crucial role in ensuring a fair count.

Similarly, Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh dismissed the exit polls as fraudulent, asserting that they were crafted by the BJP to create an illusion of invincibility. Ramesh argued that the true sentiment on the ground contradicts these polls, and the opposition’s alliance, INDIA, is poised to secure a substantial number of seats. He accused the BJP of attempting to undermine the democratic process and instil fear among election officials and political parties.

The Congress, in an unprecedented move, showcased its state unit heads via video conference to counter the exit poll findings. State leaders provided their own assessments, consistently disagreeing with the exit poll data. They argued that the polls failed to capture the anti-BJP sentiment prevalent across various states. Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole highlighted the strong anti-BJP wave in the state, asserting that the Congress alliance is expected to win a significant number of seats, contrary to what the exit polls suggest.

Leaders from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam, and Punjab echoed similar sentiments. They reported robust support for Congress and its allies, criticizing the exit polls as an effort to demoralize the opposition. Karnataka's deputy chief minister, D.K. Shivakumar, pointed out discrepancies between the exit polls and ground reality, citing his extensive experience in election campaigns as evidence of the Congress’s strong performance.

In a significant step, an INDIA delegation met with the Election Commission to address concerns about the potential misuse of postal ballots. Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi emphasized the need to adhere to statutory rules requiring postal ballots to be counted before electronic voting machine (EVM) votes. He expressed concerns about changes to this process that could alter the election results, underscoring the importance of transparency and fairness in the counting process.