2024 LS polls: Exit polls after 6:30 pm tomorrow, Congress refrains from participating in post-poll predictions

New Delhi [India], May 31 : As the Lok Sabha polls are set to conclude tomorrow evening, various media organisations will declare the results of exit polls conducted after 6:30 pm on Saturday.
The poll body had put an embargo on the publication of exit polls from April 19, 2024 (7 am) till June 1 (6:30 pm).
The election campaign of Lok Sabha polls ended on Thursday with the stage set for the seventh and final phase of polls on Saturday on 57 seats across seven states and a Union Territory. A total of 904 candidates are in the fray for the voting to be held on June 1.
Exit polls forecast the outcome of the elections. It gives an indication on how the voter has exercised its franchise.
Polling will be held on Saturday on 13 seats each in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, nine seats in West Bengal, eight in Bihar, six in Odisha, all four seats in Himachal Pradesh, three seats in Jharkhand and one seat in Chandigarh.
As the seven-phased Lok Sabha elections are nearing an end, the Congress party has announced that it will not participate in the debates on Exit Polls, which will take place from June 1 onwards.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera made the announcement on Friday, saying the party doesn't see any reason to indulge in "speculation and slugfest for TRP".
"The Indian National Congress will not participate in the debates on #ExitPolls," he added.
Khera further said that the party will participate in the debates after June 4, when the election results are out.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday appealed to the party workers, office bearers and candidates to remain vigilant and "not get misled by BJP's exit polls.
In a post on X, the SP chief said, "Just as you have been cautious throughout the elections, similarly you have to stay outside the strong room and be alert till you get the certificate on the day of counting."
Akhilesh Yadav alleged that as soon as the elections are over, the BJP's 'media mandali' will start showing false figures of the elections.
"They will tell that BJP is winning around 300 seats, which is completely false. They do this to demoralise you so that you become disappointed, but you should not fall for their words and on the day of counting, you have to protect the strong room and be vigilant so that no kind of rigging can take place," Akhilesh Yadav said in the post.
The SP chief further urged to not get "misled" by BJP's exit polls and remain "completely alert."
"I am making this special appeal so that you people do not get misled by the BJP exit polls and remain completely alert, keeping your confidence and remembering your basic mantra of victory, voting and being cautious, celebrate the victory of the Constitution, democracy and the people of the country only after taking the certificate of victory," he said.
"Our statement on the reason for not participating in #ExitPolls Voters have cast their votes and their verdict has been secured. The results will be out on 4th June. Prior to that, we do not see any reason to indulge in speculation and slugfest for TRP. The Indian National Congress will not participate in the debates on #ExitPolls. The purpose of any debate should be to inform the people. We will happily partake in debates from 4th June onwards," Pawan Khera posted on X.
Lok Sabha elections 2024 are being held in seven phases, in a six-week marathon running from April 19 to June 1. The first six phases of polling were held on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20 and May 25.
Assembly polls have also been held in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Odisha is seeing simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and assembly in the last four phases. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.