Mamata rejects exit poll predictions, calls it ‘fake’
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday rejected the exit poll predictions about the 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal calling it “absolutely fake”.
Speaking to a vernacular news channel, Banerjee alleged that exit poll results were prepared two months ago and the agency involved in it is a “BJP company”. She also urged her party workers to concentrate on counting and not be swayed by these deceptive tactics.
“As we witnessed in 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections in Bengal and also in 2019 Lok Sabha, exit poll predictions were completely wrong. BJP prepares this and feeds the media. This year’s exit poll was prepared around 2 months back and the company that did it is a BJP’s company. I know the details. These exit polls have no value. Trinamool Congress will get double the number than what these exit polls are showing,” Banerjee said.
“The way we toiled and worked in the fields we never felt that the people would not vote for us. BJP has played so many dirty games. They have provided money to Congress in the state so that they can influence Muslims to cast their votes in favour of Congress,” she added. Criticising the exit polls, she said: “People are saying that ‘E’ must be removed from the word ‘media’ and ‘O’ should be put in that place. Then it will become ‘Modia’. I have never seen such shameless media. They are specifically saying who is getting which seat. How did they come to know the results.”
“This time it is not so easy for the BJP. Regional parties like those of Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, M K Stalin, Udhhav Thackeray will perform better this year. Whoever will come to power there will be no clear majority this time. We will get double the seats than the exit polls have projected,” Banerjee added. She also reminded that her party would have no problem in moving forward with other allies of the INDIA bloc unless the CPI(M) controls the grand alliance.
Trinamool Congress on its X handle uploaded Banerjee’s interview with the television channel and said: “As we witnessed in 2016, 2019 and 2021, exit poll predictions were completely wrong. Why? Because BJP pays hefty sums to the Godi Media to create a wind and manipulate the final outcome. Smt. @MamataOfficial strongly condemned #ExitPolls, urging our party workers to stay strong and not be swayed by these deceptive tactics.”
Most of the exit polls have predicted that BJP is getting more seats than the Trinamool Congress in Bengal. The exit polls outcome was declared after the seventh phase elections were concluded on Saturday.
Most exit polls predicted a BJP victory in the 2021 Assembly elections in Bengal, but when the actual results were published the TMC won a two-thirds majority. Similarly in 2016 Assembly elections many of the exit polls had predicted that the Left could have formed the government but the ruling Trinamool congress won 211 seats.
