Date:28/04/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/04/28/stories/2004042806031400.htm

National

Exit polls unscientific, says Swamy

By Our Special Correspondent

MADURAI, APRIL 27. The opinion and exit polls conducted by several organisations should contain details of standard deviations, mean and sampling design, besides the source of funding for the exercise, the Janata Party president, Subramanian Swamy, said here today.

Addressing mediapersons, Dr. Swamy said that all the polls conducted so far, without exception, were "unscientific" since they did not contain the required factors such as sampling design and standard deviations.

Dr. Swamy, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election from here, said the Election Commission should deploy a large contingent of the Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Force to assist the Madurai police to "maintain law and order, as well as to engage in pre-emptive arrests or externment of extremists, so that the poll can take place peacefully."

He alleged that the "anti-national and pro-terrorist forces supporting the DMK front" were trying to enter Madurai "to create violence and thereby reduce voter turnout."

On the inclusion of the name of the Periyakulam All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate, T.T.V. Dinakaran, in the voters' list, Dr. Swamy alleged, "I strongly suspect some foul play on the part of some electoral officers in the inclusion."

The EC, he said, had "erred in law" by accepting Mr. Dinakaran's nomination papers as he was a permanent resident of Singapore.

Dr. Swamy also claimed that he was getting overwhelming support from all sections in the Madurai constituency.