Congress keeps hope in Himachal, CM Sukhvinder Sukhu says 2022 exit polls were off mark

Pratibha Chauhan

Shimla, June 3

Even as both the ruling Congress and the BJP have claimed that they will win all four Lok Sabha seats and six Assembly byelections, the silence of the voters is keeping the party leadership and candidates on tenterhooks ahead of the counting day.

Most candidates, including Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur, former minister Anand Sharma, Vikramaditya Singh and Kangana Ranaut, relaxed at their homes after taking the polling feedback yesterday. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today attended to urgent matters like forest fires raging across the state and the water scarcity situation in the state.

The BJP camp is upbeat with the exit polls giving it a clean sweep on all four seats, a repeat of the 2019 and 2014 parliamentary polls. Prior to the polling and exit polls, issues like the Agnipath scheme and the restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS) were causing some amount of discomfiture to the BJP, which appears to be more relaxed now.

On the other hand, the Congress still hasn’t lost hope and is optimistic of performing well. It has directed party workers to be vigilant during counting. Party leaders on condition of anonymity said winning even a single Lok Sabha seat would be considered an achievement, while its performance in the Assembly bypolls would be exceptional. The Congress believes that it will get sympathy due to the failed ‘Operation Lotus’ by the BJP which tried to topple a democratically elected government.

“In the 2022 Assembly poll, exit polls gave us 25 seats after the polling, whereas we won 40. Though there is a tough fight on all four Lok Sabha seats, the Congress has an edge on two. We will win at least five Assembly seats, while there is a tough fight on one seat,” said CM Sukhu.

Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur too sounded upbeat as he said the BJP would register victory in all four Lok Sabha elections and six Assembly bypolls. “The country has rejected the Congress and the lotus will bloom all across the country as people want to see Narendra Modi as PM again,” Thakur said.

Predicted 25 for us, we got 40

In 2022 Assembly poll, exit polls gave us 25 seats after the polling, whereas we won 40 seats. — Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Himachal Pradesh CM