Congress Rejects Exit Polls Showing NDA Edge, Says INDIA Bloc Will Win Both Maharashtra And Jharkhand

Congress managers said feedback from the ground showed the voters had backed the social welfare agenda of the INDIA bloc in both states.

New Delhi:The Congress adopted a cautious approach and rejected the exit polls that showed the NDA had an edge in the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections.

A few exit polls favoured the INDIA bloc. Polling for all 288 seats in Maharashtra and phase 2 voting for 38 seats in Jharkhand concluded on November 20. The results for both the states will be out on November 23.

The INDIA bloc comprising the JMM-Congress-RJD-CPI-ML was hopeful of retaining power in Jharkhand while the opposition grouping consisting of Congress-Shiv Sena UBT-NCP-SP was trying hard to defeat the Mahayuti government comprising BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP in Maharashtra.

"We reject most of the exit polls. They are often manipulated. We would like to wait till the official results but we are certain that the INDIA bloc will form the government in Maharashtra. We can say this on the basis of the ground-level feedback and from our own experience. There was heavy anti-incumbency against the Mahayuti government (in Maharashtra)," All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary-in-charge of Maharashtra BM Sandeep told ETV Bharat.

"I am not going into the numbers as we are still collecting voting data from across the state but I can say that the Congress did well in the Vidarbha, Marathwada regions and western parts of Maharashtra while the (Shiv) Sena (UBT) did well in the Mumbai region. The issues in these elections were clear and so was our messaging. Hence, I would not buy the idea of getting a hung house," he said.

Either side needs 145/288 seats to form a government in Maharashtra while they would require 42/81 seats to form a government in Jharkhand.

Sandeep noted the "MVA campaign was positive as compared to the Mahayuti which suffered from confusion and banked on divisive politics."

The story was the same in Jharkhand.

"I see no reason to believe the exit polls showing an edge to NDA. Our ground-level feedback shows the INDIA bloc is comfortably getting 45 seats. The tally could go beyond 50 also. Still, we would like to wait till November 23 when the results will be out," AICC secretary in charge of Jharkhand Saptagiri Ulaka told ETV Bharat.

According to the AICC functionary, the JMM had run an aggressive campaign based on the social welfare agenda which will help the INDIA bloc.

"The phase 2 polling went off well especially in the Santhal Pargana tribal area. The Congress would have around 16 or 17 seats from both phases. This means we are retaining the previous numbers," said Ulaka.

The cautious approach in the Congress camp was in contrast to the response the grand old party had given to the exit polls which predicted a victory in Haryana but had gone wrong later.

"That is why I say these exit polls are dicey. The real assessment comes from the feedback from the workers who manage the booths. Data from polling stations is still pouring in but we are hopeful of retaining power. I don't see a hung assembly as the voters will give a clear mandate,” said Ulaka.