Exit polls released on Wednesday have sparked a war of words in Tamil Nadu, with both the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) expressing confidence about forming the next government.
Several surveys have projected a sweeping victory for the ruling DMK in the recently concluded Assembly elections. The state has 234 seats, with the majority mark set at 118.
Projecting a strong performance, DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai said the party is on track for a landslide win. "In every exit polls, we are winning and this is a conservative estimate. We will win 180 plus seats".
The AIADMK, however, rejected the projections and asserted that public sentiment favors a change in government. "There is no confusion as people have already decided," AIADMK Legal Wing joint secretary R M Babu Murugavel told PTI.
Dismissing the credibility of exit polls, he added that such predictions are meaningful only if based on a large sample size. "We are very confident," he said, adding "everything will be known on May 4".
Backing the AIADMK-led alliance, the Bharatiya Janata Party said the NDA is poised to form the government in the state. BJP leader S Vijayadharani said, "Only the south Indian media are giving advantage to DMK. Most of the exit polls from north India predict that AIADMK will come to power".
On the other side, the Indian National Congress, a key DMK ally, expressed confidence in the ruling party’s return to power. Senior leader A Gopanna said welfare measures implemented by the government had resonated with voters.
"There is no doubt the DMK will retain power," he added. Tamil Nadu recorded a voter turnout of 84.69 per cent in the Assembly polls, the highest since.
(With inputs from PTI)