Amid heightened speculation, Congress announced that its spokespersons would participate in TV debates on exit polls marking a significant reversal from their earlier decision to abstain from the discussions on post-poll survey.
On Saturday evening, AICC Media and Publication Department Chairman Pawan Khera clarified the party’s shift on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the INDIA parties decided to expose what they perceive as BJP’s manipulation of exit polls.
Taking to X, Khera announced that the INDIA parties met and decided to expose the BJP and its ecosystem on the prefixed exit polls. After considering factors for and against participating in the exit polls, it has been decided by consensus that all the INDIA parties would participate in the exit poll debates on television this evening.
The directive for the participation was issued at the national level, confirmed Sushil Anand Shukla, head of the Congress Communications Department in Chhattisgarh. “The Congress party has decided that after the voting, our spokespersons will take part in TV debates about exit polls. This directive has come from the party headquarters, and we will adhere to it,” he said.
Earlier in the day, the Chhattisgarh BJP mocked the Congress on X, questioning their commitment to the electoral process. BJP spokesperson Anurag Agarwal asserted that the Congress party would face significant losses in the upcoming results, echoing Prime Minister Modi’s claims of a sweeping BJP victory. “On June 4, with the election results, the Congress party will become extinct. The Congress has a history of avoiding discussions on important issues and prefers to run away rather than face situations,” Agarwal commented.
Despite earlier statements by Khera emphasising the futility of engaging in pre-result debates, the Congress has now changed its stance. The party is preparing to participate actively in the discussions leading up to the official announcement of election results on June 4.