Exit polls gossip, don’t trust them: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: Dubbing the exit polls as a “gossip” after they projected her party’s performance in poor light, Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Sunday expressed her lack of faith in the possible results of the Lok Sabha Elections.

Urging all the Opposition parties to stay “united”, Ms Banerjee later disclosed that she is in touch with four other Opposition leaders who, she claimed, agreed with her views. After casting her vote, she earlier claimed that she has never seen such atrocities perpetrated by the BJP with the help of Central paramilitary forces.

In the evening, when the exit polls were declared, the West Bengal chief minister tweeted, “I don’t trust Exit Poll gossip. The game plan is to manipulate or replace thousands of EVMs through this gossip. I appeal to all Opposition parties to be united, strong and bold. We will fight this battle together.”

Her anguish assumed significance as many TV news channels predicted in its exit polls that the BJP-led NDA would return to power with majority, with the BJP being projected to cross 10 seat-mark in its tally in West Bengal, where the Trinamul has been shown losing many seats.

Referring to TV channels Ms Banerjee later underlined, “None of these are God-send that it knows everything beforehand. They projected us in the list of defeated earlier also. I think it is a conspiracy. Narendra Modi has claimed of getting 300 seats in the election during his campaign in Bengal.” She alleged, “These exit poll results will play an effect on the share market. There will be a hype about the same party remaining in power to boost the market. It is actually a ploy to stop the Opposition’s unity from getting activated because now all the Opposition parties will start meeting to discuss the common minimum agenda. I just had words with four-five other leaders. It is my belief that the BJP is losing.” In the afternoon, Ms Banerjee said, “Now election is underway, not campaigning. So I will not talk on campaigning. But I have never seen so much atrocities which have been done by the BJP with the CRPF in the state over voting since morning.”

Echoing her on EVM manipulation, Trinamul Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien tweeted, “Have ‘Delhi media’ who masquerade as ‘national media’ lost their credentials and credibility? So-called Exit Polls will only confuse. We await the verdict of the people. Modi ji had called the number 300+ even before Phase 7. Are these numbers to match that? EVM manipulation?”

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