Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy questioned the credibility of the exit polls and EVMs in a series of tweets on Monday afternoon.
The CM said the exit poll results were released on Sunday evening only “reiterated the serious concern of the Opposition parties on misuse of vulnerable EVMs for electoral gains by the ruling party.“ Interestingly, he claimed that the false impression of a Modi wave was being painted to lure regional parties to the BJP fold.
In the last of these tweets, he also tagged opposition leaders across the country, where he said that the exit poll exercise was “an effort to create a false impression of a wave in favour of one particular leader and the party”.
“Entire Opposition political parties had expressed concern over credibility of EVMs under PM @narendramodi's rule. Opposition parties even knocked the doors of the Supreme Court asking for a traditional ballet paper elections to avoid defective EVMs that are vulnerable to fraud,” the Chief Minister tweeted.
He also emphasised that these were “exit polls” and not “exact polls”.
The entire exit poll exercise was an effort to create false impression of a wave in favour of one particular leader and the party. As they say, it is just an exit poll, not exact poll. 4/4 @H_D_Devegowda@ncbn @MamataOfficial @yadavakhilesh @RahulGandhi #BSP #ExitPoll2019
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) May 20, 2019
Exit polls are being used to create an impression that there is still a Modi wave in the country.
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) May 20, 2019
This artificially engineered or manufacutred Modi wave is being used by the BJP to lure regional parties well in advance to fill any shortfall after the results on May 23.
3/4
Entire Opposition political parties had expressed concern over credibility of EVMs under PM @narendramodi's rule.
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) May 20, 2019
Opposition parties even knocked the doors of the Supre Court asking for a traditional ballet paper elections to avoid defective EVMs that are vulnerable to fraud.
Kumaraswamy’s tweet is on similar lines to that of the leaders who have taken an anti-BJP stance alongside the Congress in the hopes of dislodging Narendra Modi from the PM’s seat post-May 23.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had tweeted on Sunday, “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.” Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan too have questioned the credibility of exit polls.
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
Similarly, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu had tweeted, “Time and again exit polls have failed to catch the People's pulse. Exit polls have proved to be incorrect and far from ground reality in many instances. While undoubtedly TDP govt will be formed in AP, we are confident that non-BJP parties will form a non-BJP govt at the center.”
He added, “We reiterate our demand to the ECI to count VVPATs in at least 50% of polling stations. VVPATs should be counted in 5 polling stations in each Assembly Constituency at the beginning of the counting process. In case of discrepancy, all VVPATs of Assembly Constituency shall be counted.”
We reiterate our demand to the ECI to count VVPATs in at least 50% of polling stations. VVPATs should be counted in 5 polling stations in each Assembly Constituency at the beginning of counting process. In case of discrepancy, all VVPATs of Assembly Constituency shall be counted.
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) May 19, 2019