TIL Desk/National/New Delhi-Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has dismissed exit polls aired on Thursday, all of which have predicted that the BJP will be the number one party in Uttar Pradesh, with the Samajwadi Party – Congress alliance trailing in second place. Votes will be counted tomorrow in UP and four other states.
“Our alliance is winning. Such exit polls we saw in Bihar also. We will talk tomorrow,” said Mr Gandhi, who has sole charge of the party and key decision making with his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi away abroad for medical treatment.
In Bihar two years ago, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was re-elected, leading a “grand alliance” with Lalu Yadav’s RJD and the Congress to a big victory. Many exit polls had predicted a BJP win, but the party came in a distant number two.
Mr Gandhi’s party was the junior partner in the Bihar alliance and has played a similar role in Uttar Pradesh, where it has partnered with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who is seeking a second straight term.
