CHANDIGARH: Despite exit polls favoring the Congress, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini expressed unwavering confidence on Sunday that the BJP would secure a third consecutive term in the state. The results of the Haryana assembly elections are set to be announced on October 8.
Saini dismissed the exit poll predictions, which showed Congress in the lead, and took a swipe at the opposition. “On October 8, we will form the government with a full majority. The Congress will then blame the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for their defeat,” he stated.
Responding to questions about the polls predicting a Congress victory, Saini maintained a confident stance, saying, “The people of Haryana will give their answer on October 8, and the Congress will resort to blaming faulty EVMs.”
When asked how many seats the BJP expected to win in the 90-member assembly, Saini reiterated his party’s full-majority claim, asserting that the government would be formed based on the BJP’s track record in the state. “We have worked for every section of society without bias, and it is on the strength of these accomplishments that we will return to power,” he added.
Saini also criticized the credibility of exit polls, pointing out their varied predictions across states. He mentioned how exit polls have favored Congress in Chhattisgarh and indicated a lead for the party in Uttarakhand but stressed that the BJP’s grassroots connection with voters in Haryana would prevail.
“The exit polls follow their own theory and system, but we are firmly connected to the ground. The people of Haryana want the BJP to lead for a third term, and we will fulfill that mandate,” Saini declared.
The Haryana assembly elections, held on Saturday, saw nearly 67 percent voter turnout, with Congress eyeing a comeback after a decade. Several exit polls have forecast a Congress majority, but the BJP remains optimistic about its prospects.