Congress would lodge complain before ECI: PCC

DAINIK NATION BUREAU

Disseminating the results of exit polls conducted by various agencies which lack proper credentials and provide unreliable information exerts detrimental effects not only on the contesting candidates but also puts undue pressure on the government machinery deployed for the counting of votes. Stating this, the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Kishore Upadhyay also questioned the credibility of exit polls released by various agencies regarding the probable results of the Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha elections 2017.

Addressing the media at the Congress Bhawan here on Friday, the Uttarakhand PCC chief Kishore Upadhyay opined that the exit polls released recently about the Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha election did not appear credible. Reiterating his confidence about the Congress party winning the Vidhan Sabha election comfortably in Uttarakhand, the PCC chief questioned the credibility of exit poll figures issued by different agencies for the state’s assembly polls. He said that with every news channel coming up with its own exit polls, the considerable difference in the gap between seats won by different parties makes such exit polls appear unreliable. Further, the exit polls which remain vague without basis also do much injustice to the contestants if they do not hold true at the time of declaration of the election results after the counting of votes. The PCC chief recalled that in the past too there had been several instances of exit poll figures being proved wrong or false. However, the exit polls result in considerable pressure being put on the candidates, especially the candidates contesting election for the first time who suffer from greater anxiety and tension because of exit poll figures. Pointing at the mushrooming of agencies that are engaged in conducting the exit polls, he said that the reliability of such agencies appears to be questionable.

Once again referring to the exit poll figures for Uttarakhand released by different agencies since Thursday evening, Upadhyay pointed out that the difference between the maximum and minimum number of seats shown for each party is large which makes the credibility of the exit polls appear doubtful. The PCC chief called prime minister Narendra Modi a master in psychological warfare and opined that the outcome of the exit polls was also part of such strategy. Stating that there had been instances in the past of candidates falling into depression after taking into consideration the exit poll figures, Upadhyay said that exit polls also exert undue pressure on the government employees deputed to the counting of votes. Stating that it was not a question of Congress winning or the Bharatiya Janata Party winning, he opined that exit polls must be banned, adding that if the recent exit polls are proven wrong he would request the election commission to stop such exercises.