Can't agree with Gujarat exit polls: Shiv Sena

There is a huge difference between the prevailing political atmosphere and the forecasts of these exit polls, says Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray. File/IANS

Mumbai: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday expressed his strong disagreement with all the forecasts by various exit polls, predicting comfortable to huge victory margins for ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Gujarat assembly elections.

"There is a huge difference between the prevailing political atmosphere and the forecasts of these exit polls. They are not agreeable to us," he said at his residence 'Matoshree'.

Thackeray said though the exit polls have projected a clear win for the BJP in Gujarat, the final outcome of the elections will be revealed on vote count day, Monday, "and everyone will have to accept the peoples' verdict".

Thackeray's reaction came after a majority of exit polls conducted after the two-phased Gujarat elections - on December 9 and 14 - were out on Thursday, virtually prophesying a landslide comeback for the ruling BJP which has been in power in the state for the past 22 years.

Thackeray also expressed his heartiest congratulations to Rahul Gandhi for his ascension as the new Congress Party president on Saturday.

He has worked very hard for the Gujarat elections and I hope he can live up to the trust of his party cadres," he said expressing his best wishes to the Congress chief.

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