‘Don’t believe the exit polls, Cong will get 10’

Bengaluru: Former Union minister and senior Congress leader, K H Muniyappa, claimed here on Saturday that his party would comfortably win eight or 10 seats in the recent byelections in Karnataka.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, he said he did not believe the exit poll s that predicted a win for the party in only three to five constituencies  of the 15, which went to the polls on Thursday.

Recalling that the exit polls of Haryana and Maharashtra conducted by  television channels were proved  wrong, he argued that they were not carried out scientifically.

“In my view, the Congress will improve its performance  in comparison  to the 2018 Assembly and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.  I too campaigned  in a few  constituencies like Hunsur, K R Pete, Chikballapura, Hirekerur and Ranebennur and saw good support for the Congress party in all their villages,” he added.

Giving up his usual diatribe against state Congress leaders like former Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, the former Union minister instead tried to paint a picture of unity in the party, saying that all its leaders had worked together for the bypolls to make sure the party won at least  10 seats.

“With this, the Congress will disprove the popular theory that bypoll results always go in favour of the ruling party. The voters  will teach the disqualified legislators a lesson, which we will come to know on Monday when the EVMs are opened for  counting,” he said.