Exit polls fake, conspiracy to undermine Cong-RJD tie up: Lalu

Patna: RJD president Lalu Prasad today dubbed exit polls for the Lok Sabha elections a conspiracy against him and his alliance with Congress. “These exit polls being shown on television channels are completely fake, especially regarding the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar. It is a part of the conspiracy to undermine our alliance with the Congress and demoralise our counting agents,” Prasad said. [caption id=“attachment_1524055” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Lalu Prasad Yadav. PTI[/caption] Claiming that RJD would win all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state, he said, “What do those who conducted the poll surveys know about the real situation? I am not at their mercy. I have laboured hard on the ground and I know what the voters have opted for. Let the result come and then you will believe my words.” Exit polls have given 10 to 15 seats to the Congress-RJD alliance in Bihar. “Even if you talk on caste lines, you can refer to the latest figures on different castes in the state. It will then become clear who has voted where. All backward castes, scheduled castes, Muslims and the poor among the upper castes have voted for us,” he claimed. Expressing concern that the counting of votes on 16 May could be compromised by people favouring BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Prasad said that he wanted “free and fair counting”. Asked whether he would support Modi if the NDA fell short of a majority in the Lok Sabha, Prasad said that he was of “a different mettle” who could never go along with “communal forces unlike other leaders like Ram Vilas Paswan”. PTI