Congress opposing opinion polls as results go against it: BJP, SAD

NEW DELHI: BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal today slammed Congress for its view that restrictions should be placed on the publication and dissemination of opinion polls during election time, saying the reason behind the party's stand was that the survey findings were not in its favour.

"The message does not die if one kills the messenger. Today, the message is against the mis-governance of Congress, and that calls for a change.

"Today, you will say opinion polls should be banned. Tomorrow, you will say public meetings by opposition parties should be stopped. What message is the Congress trying to send out?" BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

SAD MP Naresh Gujral said that since the results of the opinion polls went against Congress, the party had chosen to oppose such exercises.

"The same Congress party was all for opinion polls while the wind was blowing in their direction. Now that they have lost support of the people, they are saying ban these surveys," Gujral said.

The Rajya Sabha MP noted that "when the opinion polls were being manipulated by Congress" in Punjab, SAD had complained and asked for a ban on them, but Congress had opposed that demand.

"Now that the shoe is pinching them they are asking for a ban," Gujral said.

In a letter to Election Commission on October 30, Congress had said it, "fully endorses the views of (the Commission) to restrict publication and dissemination of opinion polls during election (time).

"In fact, opinion polls during elections are neither scientific nor is there any transparent process for such surveys," secretary of the AICC's legal and human rights department, KC Mittal, had said in the party's official letter to the commission.