INDIA bloc leaders put up brave face: People’s exit poll favours us, wait for June 4

Shortly before exit polls predicted the return of the BJP-led NDA, top leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc met here Saturday and put up a brave front claiming that they would cross the halfway mark.

One of the leaders at the meeting said that the consensus in the room was that the BJP would be the single largest party but fall well short of the halfway mark. After the meeting that went on for more than two hours at his residence, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that the INDIA bloc would secure more than 295 seats.

Rubbishing the exit polls, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate told The Indian Express: “This is a government poll meant to please Mr Modi. The janata ka exit poll is out. We have already said we are winning 295 seats. The BJP is at 220 and the NDA is at 235. Our 295 seats are only going to go up because we have met our allies, we have done a mathematical analysis, everybody has given their numbers, we are absolutely certain that the people’s exit poll favours the INDIA alliance.”

Sources said it was also decided that most of the senior leaders would reach Delhi on Wednesday morning, a day after the counting day.

The Opposition bloc also decided to approach the Election Commission before counting day Tuesday with a list of demands. These include: asking it to ensure that the time of opening and closing of every balloting unit on voting day is matched with records before counting begins and officers tally their Form 17 C data without fail. It alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had called as many as 150 District Magistrates and Collectors and alleged “brazen intimidation.”

“This is blatant and brazen intimidation, showing how desperate the BJP is. Let it be very clear: the will of the people