Congress rejects Exit Polls projecting its defeat; says 'time for Exit Polls to Exit'

'Time for Exit Polls to Exit,' said Congress after projections were made of the Bharatiya Janata Party's victory in the Assembly elections for Gujarat on Monday. Refuting the possibility of Congress' defeat at the hands of the BJP, the grand-old party's senior leader Jairam Ramesh raised doubts on the authenticity of the poll predictions.

“It’s time for the exit polls to exit. The questions based on exit polls are unfair. We know who conducts these polls, under the influence of whom and why they are conducted. I don’t believe in these exit polls,” Ramesh said while addressing the media in the backdrop of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan. 

Poll of Exit Polls predicts BJP's victory as Congress trails behind

On Monday, the PMARQ Exit Poll has predicted that Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel-led BJP is likely to cross the majority mark and is projected to win 128-148 in the 182-member Assembly. On the other hand, Congress is predicted to bag 30-42 seats and AAP, 2-10 seats. Others which might include Independents or candidates of smaller parties like AIMIM are predicted to get 0-3 seats. 

The Matrize Exit Poll has predicted that the BJP will win 128 seats while the Congress will win 46 seats. AAP is predicted to bag 5 seats, and 3 seats are predicted for the Others in the Assembly Elections of Gujarat. Meanwhile, Axis My India Exit Poll has predicted that BJP will win 129-151 seats. For Congress and AAP, the Exit Poll has predicted 16-30 seats, and 9-21 seats, respectively. 

Pertinently, on Republic, after the figures came out, Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam went vocal against the party leadership. In conversation with Arnab Goswami, Krishnam claimed the Congress was not losing because of the good work of the BJP in Gujarat, but because of the party being 'plagued from within'. 

"If the predictions of the Exit Poll are true, then the in-charges, those who were entrusted with the responsibility of the Assembly elections in Gujarat should tender their resignation," said  Krishnam.