A day ahead of the counting of votes of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday urged party workers to remain “alert for the next 24 hours” and fearless.
Rahul also dismissed as “fake” the exit polls that presented a gloomy picture for the Opposition and a clear victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“My dear Congress party workers. The next 24 hours are important. Stay alert and vigilant. Don't be afraid. You are fighting for the truth,” the Congress president tweeted.
Two days ago, Rahul's sister and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has shared a similar audio message asking party workers “not to lose hope”.
“Don't get disappointed by the propaganda of fake exit polls. Keep faith in yourself and the Congress party. Your hard work won't go to waste. Jai Hind,” he wrote.
Congress also hit out at the Election Commission for rejecting their demand for tallying the VVPAT slips with the EVMs before the votes are counted.
“Is it because 'Chunav Achar Sanhita' has become 'Modi Prachar Sanhita'? Won't you do anything for the credibility of EVMs? Will you make EVMs 'Electronic Victory Machines' for BJP? Is it because EC stands for 'Enfeebled Commission', 'Eradicated/Eliminated' Credibility',” Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters here.
Singhvi said that the Election Commission had not communicated its decision to the Opposition parties, and they got to know of it only through the media.
The Congress insisted that the Election Commission's decision went against the spirit of the Supreme Court order on VVPATs.
Singhvi said that the Commission should have considered the Opposition demand favourably as a confidence-building measure to ensure transparency in the election process.
“Even then in case the confidence-building measure is wanted by 75% of India’s electorate as represented by 22 parties, you should agree for to it,” he said.
“If the process has been so long drawn for the sake of the integrity of the electoral process, why is EC not adhering to the basic principle of testing the sample first,” asked Sitaram Yechury, the CPM general secretary.