Doordarshan exit poll a farce 8212; Azad

Describing the exercise as a farce, Azad admitted that it could have a demoralising affect on the voters and demanded that the Centre should stop its telecast. Calling the exit polls as BJP sponsored, Azad said that on many occasions the findings of such exercises were found to be misleading and totally wrong.

He said the exit polls telecast by Doordarshan on Karnataka a few months back had given 80 seats to the Congress. But the party got 136 seats and formed the Government in Karnataka, he added. Whenever the BJP governmentremained in power at the Centre it manipulated things to suit its designs, he alleged.

Azad, however, asserted that irrespective of the prediction of the exit polls, the people of the state will vote the Congress back to power. Making a dig at the BJP-BJD alliance, the Congress leaders expressed surprise over the BJD joining hands with the BJP which had opposed the leadership of Biju Patnaik when he was alive.

Reacting to BJP general secretary Venkiah Naidu8217;s remark that the Congress will split after the polls, Azad said that the BJP leader should keep track of his own party. Describing the BJP as a party without any ideology or policy, Azad said the party that once opposed regional parties now goes to any extent to woo them to stay in power.