Congress makes volte-face on Exit Poll debate in 24-hour
Image credit X @INCIndia
Opposition block decides to partake in Exit Poll debate
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, June 1: Within 24-hour, the main Opposition party, the Congress, in a volte-face reversed the decision to boycott the Exit Poll debate in the television studio. The Congress made the course correction after the meeting of the Opposition block, the Indian National developmental and Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Saturday.
“INDIA parties met and decided to expose the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and its ecosystem on the prefixed exit polls,” said the Congress leader, Pawan Khera, in a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
Khera had yesterday posted a message that the Congress would not be taking part in the television debate on the Exit Poll. He had said that the Congress would stay away from the TRP game over the Exit Poll.
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“After considering factors for and against participating in the exit polls, it has been decided by consensus that all the INDIA parties will participate in the exit poll debates on television this evening,” added Khera.
The Opposition block on Saturday met at the residence of the Congress president, Mallikarjuna Kharge. The Opposition parties chalked out the post-poll strategy.
Khera yesterday had said that the “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,” Khera had said.
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He posted yesterday, saying “the Indian National Congress will not participate in the debates on Exit Polls”. “The purpose of any debate should be to inform the people. We will happily partake in debates from 4th June onwards,” added Khera.
It may be noted that the Congress decision to name and shame the television anchors last year had also not gone down well with some of the constituents of the Opposition bloc. Some of the Opposition leaders had claimed that the Congress had taken unilateral decision to boycott a set of anchors.
The Congress had been on an offensive against a set of television anchors, accusing them of peddling the narrative of the BJP through studio debates. However, the Congress spokespersons in another course corrections began taking part in the television debate.
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