MVA Rejects Exit Poll Predictions, Claims Victory in Maharashtra

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena UBT and Congress on Sunday rejected the exit poll predictions for Maharashtra and claimed that their alliance will win more than 35 out 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut called exit polls a fraud, while state Congress president Nana Patole claimed the exit poll figures were dictated by the BJP.

Almost all exit polls have predicted advantage for the NDA in Maharashtra even though the alliance is predicted to win fewer seats than the 41 won in 2009.

Stating that the Shiv Sena (UBT) will retain 18 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, Mr Raut said, “The MVA will win 35 seats. The INDIA bloc will win 35 to 40 seats in Uttar Pradesh and more than 290 seats in the country.”

Mr. Patole also claimed that the MVA will win 35-40 seats in Maharashtra and the INDIA bloc will form the next government.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also claimed that there is a lot of pressure on these media houses. According to him, the exit poll exercise is a corporate game and a fraud. "Do these companies conduct exit polls for free?" he asked.

Ridiculing the exit poll companies, Mr Raut claimed out that Rajasthan has 25 seats, but one exit poll company has given 33 seats to the BJP. He also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that it is the insult of his meditation at Kanyakumari to give him anything less than 800 Lok Sabha seats.

"I thought the exit polls would give the BJP 800 to 900 seats as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has meditated so much. He meditated for so many days, so 360 or 370 is nothing. A person who meditates should get 800 seats," said Mr. Raut.

Mr. Patole said that his party is not relying on exit polls, which are “misleading the people”. He also appealed to his party’s polling agents to keep vigil till all votes are counted at the counting centres.

Mr. Raut alleged that the BJP has realised that it is losing the election and therefore Union home minister Amit Shah is calling district collectors and threatening them. He also claimed that Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Karnataka will bring a change in the country along with Maharashtra.