Exit polls for J&K, Haryana a ‘defeat’ for PM Narendra Modi, says Lalu Yadav

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Sunday called exit polls for Jammu-Kashmir and Haryana, a ‘defeat’ for prime minister Narendra Modi.

Exit poll results released on Saturday evening projected a huge defeat for BJP against the Congress in Haryana, and a hung assembly in Jammu and Kashmir with edge for the Congress-National Conference alliance. However, to be sure, exit polls could also go wrong.

That said, if projections were to hold true on the counting day (October 8), both the Congress and the grand old party-led opposition INDIA bloc, would have continued their momentum from the Lok Sabha polls. In the general elections, held from April 19 to June 1, the opposition group won 234 seats, including 99 of the Congress; the party almost doubled its tally from what it won (52) in 2019.

The BJP-led ruling NDA, on the other hand, secured 293 seats, including 240 from the saffron party. However, the BJP fell short of what would have been its third consecutive individual majority.

Since then, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, has repeatedly spoken about how the INDIA bloc inflicted a ‘psychological’ defeat on prime minister Modi.

Also, this is the first time in his career that the PM is leading a coalition government. Previously, as the chief minister of Gujarat and then as the nation’s prime minister, he led governments that had absolute majority.