PANJIM: Congress has expressed apprehensions of manipulation of EVMs and requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) as well the party workers to be alert on the day of counting.
Stating that the ECI needs to be alert on any type of manipulation that could be possible during the counting, Leader of Opposition, Chandrakant Babu Kavalekar said, “Everyone needs to be alert against any kind manipulation. If everything goes without any violations and manipulation then we are surely winning both the seats.”
Taking exception to the exit polls, Kavalekar stated that while the mood of the nation has been against the incumbent government, the exit polls are indicating that the mandate will be larger than 2014 when there was a Modi wave.
Citing that exit polls have failed consecutively over the years, Leader of Opposition Kavalekar demanded that ECI should contemplate on banning exit polls completely.
“This is an insult to people’s democracy. When BJP itself is not confident of winning any seat in Goa, the polls are saying we are at zero and they will win both the seats. The exit polls are stating that the BJP is going to increase its numbers further to more than 300. Are these companies being influenced by the ruling party”, he questioned.
Demanding a ban on the exit polls, he added, “Who do we have faith on when people say something else and exit polls are giving a different equation. The fact that media photographers and cameramen are not being allowed inside the counting area indicates that intentions are not clear. Exit polls have failed year after year and are trying to divert people’s mind. Therefore the ECI should ban exit polls.”
Citing the example of an exit poll during the 2017 Goa Legislative Assembly elections in which Aam Aadmi Party was predicted to be winning 35 seats, Kavalekar said “Their candidates could not even save their deposits during the elections. They (BJP) can go to any extend including EVM manipulation. We have told our workers not to rely on government machinery completely.”
