Oppn meets today to discuss post-result plan

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 20

Opposition leaders will meet in the capital tomorrow to discuss the pre-May 23 scenario and potential post-Lok Sabha poll result possibilities of a non-BJP front staking claim for government formation, should outcome favours them.

This will be the first formal meeting of non-BJP parties amid ongoing efforts to bring the Opposition leaders together.

They will also jointly petition the Election Commission on potential discrepancies in EVMs on May 23 and seek redressal in cases of suspicious outcomes. The decision to meet the EC was taken today after discussions between leaders of anti-BJP parties, which want repolling in the entire Assembly constituency should even one polling both of the constituency report mismatch between EVMs and VVPATs.

“We are going to demand a re-election in the whole Assembly segment in case mismatch is reported from even one booth of a particular segment. Nothing less will suffice,” a senior Opposition leader said.

The Opposition delegation planning to meet the EC tomorrow is likely to include Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi Azad, NCP's Sharad Pawar, TMC's Derek O' Brien, CPM's Sitaram Yechury, CPI's D Raja, TDP's N Chandrababu Naidu, BSP's Satish Mishra, and NC representatives. More anti-BJP leaders may join the Opposition camp claiming the presence of 21 party leaders.

The Opposition's joint decision to petition the EC tomorrow has afforded them the much-needed opportunity to discuss potential political situation on May 23 and early strategising. EVMs and their alleged tampering is high on the Opposition agenda with TMC chief Mamata Banerjee yesterday trashing exit poll trends as "gossip" and terming these as "part of the BJP's game plan to use surveys for manipulation of EVMs".

Congress leader Kapil Sibal has been alleging possibilities of EVM tampering as has TDP president Chandrababu Naidu.

Opposition strategy for May 23 and thereafter appears to be two pronged — keeping the EVM issue burning and keeping letters of support to a potential anti-BJP coalition ready for May 23 should trends betray the ruling BJP.

EC sources, meanwhile, said they would abide by the SC order of EVM and VVPAT matching in five polling booths in each Assembly segment. Sources dismissed apprehensions of EVM tampering.

‘Exit polls cast concerns on EVMs’

The exit polls reiterate the Oppn’s concern on misuse of vulnerable EVMs by the ruling party. The exercise was an effort to create false impression of a wave in favour of one particular leader and the party. As they say, it is just an exit poll, not exact poll. — HD Kumaraswamy, Karnataka CM

‘Naidu needlessly exhausting himself’

Chandrababu Naidu is unnecessarily exhausting himself by running from pillar to post as there was no guarantee of this ‘possible coalition’ staying intact...The country cannot afford to have a coalition government crawling with the help of several small parties. — Shiv Sena in Saamana