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Sunday, May 02, 2004

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Naidu criticises exit polls

By Our Special Correspondent

In a State where nine out of 20 seats were won last time by a margin of less than 20,000 votes, it is hard to predict the outcome. C. Gouridasan Nair on the Kerala poll scene.

NEW DELHI, MAY 1. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, today came down on exit poll projections saying they have "harmed the nation."

"Exit polls and actual polls are very different. All predictions will prove wrong," Mr. Naidu told correspondents during a brief visit here. He said the Telugu Desam Party would prove the pollsters wrong by forming the Government in the State while the National Democratic Alliance would do so at the Centre.

Criticising the exit polls, Mr. Naidu said the outcome had "harmed the nation as the economy suffered to the tune of Rs. 36,000 crores which was the money of small investors,'' following the stockmarket crash. The exit polls of one television channel had predicted the ouster of the TDP Government in Andhra Pradesh but found the result in neighbouring Karnataka "too close to call."

Mr. Naidu said that exit polls were neither scientific nor credible. Citing the instances of the projections ahead of the December 2003 Assembly elections, he said that in the case of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the predictions went wrong since they claimed the Congress would retain power.

Discounting the view that large turnout in the current elections in Andhra Pradesh would go against the ruling party, Mr. Naidu saw it as a "pro-establishment vote'' and not "anti-incumbency'' move as was being made out by some politicians. His party's assessment was also based on the feedback from its workers.

Asked about the TDP's stance on joining the Government at the Centre in the event of the NDA returning to power, he said the party politburo would discuss the issue later in the context of the post-poll scenario.

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