Party bosses play it safe

Following lessons learned from the Bihar results, the political parties are reluctant to read too much into exit polls.

With exits polls seeming to suggest an advantage for the saffron party in Uttar Pradesh, BJP's national spokesperson and Uttarakhand in- charge Anil Baluni said, "There is no alternative. People want development and corrupt-free state. We will win in other states including Uttarakhand."

On the other hand, BJP chief in Uttar Pradesh Keshav Prasad Maurya claimed that both Congress and SP will be shocked after the declaration of final results.

BJP's national president Amit Shah has reposed faith in the party's internal survey report rather than poll pundits, said a report.

Also, Congress party's general secretary and UP in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "SP-Congress alliance will gain 2/3 majority in UP." Another Congressman, PC Chacko dismissed the exit polls as 'paid and biased'.

AAP's Somnath Bharati said, "All the results are cosmetic. Our door-to-door survey states that AAP will come to power in both Punjab and Goa."

Samajwadi supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav was confident that his son Akhilesh would be CM again. BSP's national spokesperson Sudhindra Bhadoria preferred to adopt a wait- and- watch approach.