Confusion compounds with contradicting exit polls

Vijayawada: The difference in the number of seats to be won by the ruling YSRCP and the Opposition alliance in Andhra Pradesh predicted by the exit polls had pushed the political parties into confusion.

In the 2019 Assembly elections, the YSRCP won 151 seats, the TDP secured 23, and Jana Sena managed to win one who later migrated to the YSRCP. The Congress and the BJP did not win any seats in the state in 2019. As the state anticipates the results on June 4, the focus was high on the exit polls.

Both the ruling YSRCP and the Opposition saw hectic election campaign. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy sought more than 151 seats and all 25 Lok Sabha seats highlighting the welfare activities taken up by his government in the last five years.

The alliance leaders Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan, Purandeswari, national leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi also campaigned in the state.

The YSRCP claims that it is determined to repeat the 2019 results and claims that the exit polls were all media management of the Opposition to create confusion among the people.

The advisor to the state government Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said the YSRCP had gone to polls with positive thinking while the Opposition had single point agenda of Jagan bashing. He said it is now for the Opposition to search for reasons for the defeat on June 4. They have been making a lot of noise and feeling elated by the exit polls, but the reality would be different.

He said it was unfortunate that the Election Commission and police were succumbing to pressure from the Opposition. He alleged that though Macherla MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy got anticipatory bail, new illegal cases were being foisted against him. “Just as you cannot stop the Sun to rise, the victory of the YSRCP also cannot be stopped, he said.

Minister R K Roja said the actual results would be different from the exit polls and it is certain that Jagan would become the CM for the second term. In the meantime, the Ongole Jana Sena Assembly candidate Nadendla Manohar said that political parties should respect the verdict of the people and should not get provoked and create trouble.

He called upon Jana Sena activists to be alert on the day of counting and remain calm even if the ruling party leaders and activists try to provoke them.

The Opposition leaders also asked their respective cadre to ensure that the EVMs were safely transferred from strong rooms to counting centers. BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said that alliance would come to power with 53% votes.