Rahul Gandhi dubs exit polls fraudulent, asks Congress workers to be alert

“Next 24 hours are important. Need to be alert and vigilant. There is no need to be disappointed by fraudulent exit polls. Have faith in yourself and the Congress party. Your efforts won’t go in vain.”

Congress President Rahul Gandhi addresses the media at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi on May 17, 2019.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has dubbed exit polls as “fraudulent” and appealed to party workers to be alert.

“Next 24 hours are important. Need to be alert and vigilant. There is no need to be disappointed by fraudulent exit polls. Have faith in yourself and the Congress party. Your efforts won’t go in vain,” Mr. Gandhi tweeted on May 22

For the past three days, the Congress chief had maintained silence over the exit polls.

But party insiders say the party is keeping a plan B ready if the final numbers don't throw up a clear majority for the National Democratic Alliance.

Apart from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu meeting senior Opposition leaders like Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar has also worked the phone lines to reach out to regional parties who can play a significant role.

Mr. Pawar spoke with Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao in the past three days.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has been talking about forming a united block of Opposition parties that can approach President Ram Nath Kovind to stake claim as a single entity if results throw up a hung Parliament on May 23.