December 3 results will be an egg on your face: KTR lashes out on exit polls

Hyderabad: BRS working president and minister KT Rama Rao came down heavily on exit polls, especially those giving Congress a higher number of seats or declaring Congress’s win.

As the polling for the Telangana Assembly elections came to an end at 5 pm on November 30, many put out exit polls as permitted by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Speaking at a press meeting at 6 pm on Thursday, while the voting was still on, the minister said, “I called the chief election commissioner and asked him why exit polls are being allowed even as people are still standing in queues to vote. Why not ensure the exit polls come out after the polling is completed? We have seen these exit polls in the past too and most of them got it wrong. I promise to all the fans of KCR and BRS that we will get nothing less than 70 seats and we will form the next government.”

“I ask all my party workers to not go by exit polls. National media conducts surveys by speaking to only 200 people. It is the same national media which went wrong earlier with their exit polls. Out of the five exit polls, only one got it right in 2018,” he added.

He further said, “On December 3, it will be an egg on your (media houses publishing the exit polls) face and on your reputation. Your institution’s credibility is at stake. When people are still standing in the queue to vote, how can they declare the ‘results’? How can you publish such exit polls? It is very meaningless for the ECI to revise the timings. These exit polls will affect the morale of the candidates. Do you (media houses) have the audacity to publish the right numbers afterwards? Do you have the courage to accept your fault? Unfortunately, you don't. I want to convey to my party cadre not to believe the exit polls. We are 100 per cent sure our government will come to power. Let us hope we win with bigger numbers. Once the full numbers are out, then we can analyse. Let’s hold our horses and talk about it on December 3.”

The minister also pointed out the low voter turnout in Hyderabad. “Urban voters are the most to voice out their concern and unfortunately, they don’t turn out to vote, Now I will question them,” the minister added.

Highest and lowest voters' turnout

The constituency of Jangaon, with 83.34 per cent voters' turnout, topped the list among the 119 constituencies in the state. Yakutpura with a 27.87 per cent polling percentage turned out to be the constituency with the lowest voters' turnout. Other constituencies with relatively higher voter turnout include Narsampet (83 per cent), Dubbak (82.75 per cent), Nakrekal (82.34 per cent), Medak (81.72 per cent), Palakurthi (81.23 per cent), Bhongir (81.04 per cent).

Apart from Yakutpura, constituencies with the lowest polling percentage include Nampally (32.40 per cent), Charminar (34.02 per cent), Malakpet (36.90 per cent), Bahadurpura (39.11 per cent) and Chandrayangutta (39 per cent).