Don't trust exit poll gossip: Mamata reaches out to Opposition

At least three exit polls have predicted NDA to get more than 300 seats in Lok Sabha election 2019. Mamata, however, is not trusting the figures and neither is Omar Abdullah of J&K National Conference.

File photo

Kolkata: She fought a bitter battle with the Bharatiya Janata Party through the course of Lok Sabha election 2019. With most exit polls on Sunday predicting BJP and its alliance partners to rake in the numbers needed to form the government, Mamata Banerjee appealed to the Opposition to unite.

Mamata has been belligerent in the face of BJP's push in West Bengal and has often even made personal attacks against Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Violence marred each of the seven phases of voting in the election with both sides blaming each other. With voting in the seventh phase concluding on Sunday evening, three exit polls pointed towards the National Democratic Alliance getting upwards 300-plus seats. Mamata was quick to dismiss the predictions. "I don’t trust Exit Poll gossip. The game plan is to manipulate or replace thousands of EVMs through this gossip. I appeal to all Opposition parties to be united, strong and bold. We will fight this battle together," she tweeted.

I don’t trust Exit Poll gossip. The game plan is to manipulate or replace thousands of EVMs through this gossip. I appeal to all Opposition parties to be united, strong and bold. We will fight this battle together — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 19, 2019

The battle for West Bengal, in particular, has been absolutely bitter. Exit polls were divided in their predictions for the state. While Republic-Jan ki Baat has predicted 18 to 26 seats for BJP and 13 to 21 for TMC, Times Now VMR has predicted 11 seats for the BJP, 2 seats for the Congress+, 28 seats for the TMC and 1 seat for Others.  News 18 IPSOS predicted BJP will win just three to seven seats while Mamata will win 25 to 28 seats.

The fight, however, goes well beyond West Bengal with Mamata now attempting to rally up non-NDA members in a bid to make up the numbers if required. She seemed to have found some support, at least when it comes to how exit polls are seen, from J&K National Conference's Omar Abdullah who preferred to switch off. "Every single exit poll can’t be wrong! Time to switch off the TV, log out of social media & wait to see if the world is still spinning on its axis on the 23rd," he wrote on the micro-blogging site.