Exit polls are bogus, says Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh after results showed clean sweep for BJP

The counting of votes will take place take place on December 18.

SHIMLA: Exit polls were manipulated and not based on facts, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said on Saturday after results showed a clean sweep for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state assembly elections.

The veteran Congress leader has rubbished the predictions of nearly half a dozen pollsters that gave BJP a big thumbs up on Thursday in the state elections.

He said the exit polls are bogus, manipulated and not based on facts.

Exuding confidence that Congress would return to power for the sixth time in the state, Singh said after interacting with the people in different parts of the state, he was confident that they favoured his party.

“I have visited (different) corners of Himachal Pradesh and most people favoured Congress. I am confident my party will win with a majority," Singh said.

The exit polls of VMR, C-voter, News X, India TV and CSDS had predicted a clean sweep for BJP in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections.

While polling in Himachal was held on November 9, Gujarat went to polls in two phases, December 9 and 14. The counting of votes for both states will take place on December 18.

Both Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress have campaigned hard in the high-stakes elections with both sides fielding their top leaders for campaigning.