Exit polls: Sonia Gandhi expects 'totally opposite' results

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Monday said her party is very hopeful that the results of the Lok Sabha elections will be totally opposite to what has been shown in the exit polls.

"We have to wait, just wait and see," Sonia Gandhi told PTI when asked about her expectations from the results scheduled to be announced on Tuesday.

"We are very hopeful that our results are completely opposite to what the exit polls are showing," the Congress parliamentary party chief added.

Sonia Gandhi made the remarks after attending an event held at the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam office in New Delhi.

She paid tributes to DMK stalwart M Karunanidhi on his 100th birth anniversary.

Most exit polls have predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain power for a third straight term, with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance expected to win a big majority in the Lok Sabha polls.

While some exit polls have given the NDA more than 400 seats, most have predicted that it will win over 350, which is way above the majority mark of 272 seats needed to form the government.

The Congress and other Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) parties have trashed the exit polls, claiming that these surveys were a work of 'fantasy' and asserting that the opposition alliance will form the next government.

"This is not called an exit poll but its name is 'Modi media poll'. This is Modi ji's poll, it is his fantasy poll," former Congress president Rahul Gandhi had said on Sunday.

Congress leaders have said that the INDIA bloc will win 295 seats and form the government.

Earlier, speaking at the event marking the 100th birth anniversary of Karunanidhi, Sonia Gandhi said, "It's my pleasure to be here with my colleagues from the DMK on the very auspicious occasion of the 100th anniversary of Dr. Kalaignar Karunanidhi."

"I had the good fortune of meeting him on many occasions, listening to what he had to say and benefiting from his words of wisdom and advice. I feel fortunate to have met him," she said and extended her best wishes to those present on the occasion.