Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Vested interests behind exit polls: Union Minister

By Our Staff Reporter

PATHANAMTHITTA, APRIL 29. The Union Minister of State for Commerce, Vidyasagar Rao, has alleged that the authenticity of the exit polls as well as opinion polls is at stake owing to the "vested interests'' of the agencies conducting them.

The Minister was participating in a meet-the-press programme organised by the Pathanamthitta Press Club here today.

According to him, different agencies that had conducted the exit polls had reached contradictory `predictions' on the number of seats the BJP and the Opposition were likely to get in the general elections. He alleged that the methodology adopted by these agencies might have been unscientific, ultimately leaving it as a tool in the hands of the Opposition to campaign against the BJP.

Mr. Rao said he was for a ban on the exit polls. The next NDA Government at Centre would discuss the issue with all political parties so as to reach a consensus on it.

The Minister alleged that "what we have been witnessing is war between different print as well as visual media over the exit poll predictions. There were allegations that a good number of exit polls and opinion polls were sponsored by certain vested interests with a dubious design to mar the prospects of the BJP.''

"When the exit polls predicted the defeat of the BJP and its allies in Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in the previous Assembly polls, the BJP had registered a clean sweep in all these States,'' he said.

Mr. Rao said the NDA would win a few seats in Kerala this time. The TDP-BJP combine would register a handsome win in Andhra Pradesh too, he said.

The Union Minister was in the district to address various election meetings of the BJP candidates, S. Krishnakumar and P.M. Velayudhan, in Mavelikara and Adoor Lok Sabha constituencies today. The BJP district secretary, A.G. Unnikrishnan, was also present.

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