BJP downplays Delhi exit poll results

New Delhi: Downplaying the exit poll results that have projected a majority for AAP in Delhi Assembly elections, the BJP on Sunday held a review meeting and expressed confidence of forming a government.

With two days left for the counting of votes, the BJP exuded confidence that it will win, citing the narrow gap between its and AAP's vote shares in yesterday's exit polls after the conclusion of voting.

The meeting was held at the party's state headquarters and was attended by BJP Delhi Unit chief Satish Upadhyay, party General Secretary (Organisation) Ram Lal, Delhi BJP in-charge Prabhat Jha, party's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi and conveners of the Assembly constituencies and all the candidates and other leaders.

"All our constituencies were analysed, evaluated during the meet, and based on that we forecast that BJP will form a government in Delhi under the leadership of Kiran Bediji, with a comfortable majority," Upadhyay told reporters after the meeting.

He, however, did not speculate how many seats the BJP will get in the 70-member Assembly. BJP's National Secretary Srikant Sharma expressed confidence that the party will emerge victorious. "We are confident of our victory. Even in the exit polls, the projected vote share gap between us and AAP is very narrow. We will win," he said.

BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao claimed that the exit polls were favourable to AAP because AAP voters are vocal unlike those of the BJP. The real story lies in the projection of vote shares of the different party, he said.

"These polls show a very narrow gap of only 5-6 per cent (vote share) between AAP and BJP.. .had the gap been very wide, it would have been very different to look for any other outcome, in what has been projected," he said, adding, AAP has a "very vocal and very noisy support base, open support base."?

Upadhyay said the ground realities for each of the constituencies were assessed based on people's feedback and assessment of candidates for their respective seats. "A survey is always a survey. Also, I think we need to wait for the 10th for the final result. Because in some Assembly seats the margin is very less. So it could swing any way," Bedi said when her response was sought by reporters. AAP appears set for a sweeping victory, according to exit polls.

BJP was projected to be the second largest party way behind AAP while the Congress could be virtually wiped out, the polls shown on television channels said.