New Delhi: Soon after the Congress party announced its decision to skip exit poll debates, BJP president JP Nadda claimed that it is an ‘unequivocal confirmation’ that the Congress has conceded defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Nadda asked voters not to waste their votes in the seventh and last phase of the polls on Saturday as the Congress usually opts out when it doesn’t expect favourable results but has no compunction showing up if it thinks it has even an outside chance. "Their hypocrisy is not lost on anyone. Let no one in Phase 7 waste their vote on them," he said.  

Nadda retorted, "Congress’ decision is an unequivocal confirmation that the Congress has conceded the 2024 Lok Sabha elections." What is more disconcerting, Nadda said, is the Congress’ antipathy towards the largest democratic process in the world, which saw the participation of over 960 million aspirations. "While Indians were electing their leader, who would lead them in the new world order, improve their lives, bring opportunities and prosperity, the Congress was working assiduously to undermine the very institutional process, on which rests our robust democracy’s foundations," he claimed.

He said instead of focusing on winning the election, the opposition party repeatedly approached the Supreme Court, making outrageous demands, in order to "mutilate" the well-established electoral process."The Congress has no complaints about either the EVMs or the electoral process when it wins. Himachal and Telangana are recent examples. But whines endlessly when it expects a rout," he stated. Nadda added that not just the Congress but its extended ecosystem, which is "inimical" to India’s interests, too comes together to create cacophony and makes all attempts to undermine people’s faith in democratic institutions and processes.

He alleged, "They stop at nothing. They target the Supreme Court, Judges who do not deliver orders to their liking, attack journalists, who refuse to be their cheerleaders, tarnish the Election Commission of India and raise questions on integrity of data and process." By deciding to boycott the exit poll exercise, they are bringing into question the exercise carried out by several professional agencies, who have worked with thousands of associates to bring what people may have voted for, Nadda said.

He asked, "Is it the Congress’s arguments that there is a big conspiracy, which includes millions of voters, and all of it is aimed at ridiculing the Congress for the next few days when the actual result comes out on the 4th of June?" He said it doesn’t behove India’s grand old party to behave like a child, whose toy has been taken away.

One expects a certain level of maturity from the largest political party in the opposition, he added. 

What Congress Said?

Nadda's swipe at the opposition party came after it announced its decision to not participate in any Lok Sabha exit poll debates on news channels, saying it does not want to indulge in speculation and slugfest for TRPs. "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," Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said in a statement.

"The Indian National Congress will not participate in the debates on Exit Polls. The purpose of any debate should be to inform the people. We will happily partake in debates from 4th June onwards," Khera stated. The decision was taken after consultations within the party, the sources said.