Exit polls should be banned, says Sukhbir Badal

Days after several exit polls predicted a clean sweep for Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab assembly elections, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday said that he does not believe in them and further mentioned that exit polls and opinion polls should be banned.

The SAD chief expressed confidence in being voted to power in the recently held assembly elections.

Addressing a press conference in Amritsar, Badal said, "The SAD represents the voice of people. I hope God gives us the chance to do seva (service) of the people."

The SAD leader further highlighted that he does not have faith in the credibility of the exit polls.

"Ask any Punjabi here, nobody believes it. Last time also, it was predicted that the AAP will win more than 100 seats. Such was not the case. When the assembly elections happened in West Bengal, it was predicted that Mamata didi will win only by a thin margin but she won with a huge margin. I think opinion polls and exit polls should be banned," he said.

"The Elections Commission is monitoring everything but the central government by using its financial power, gives paid opinion and exit polls to influence the voters. The credibility of exit and opinion polls has decreased over the years," he added.

Badal further said that the Bahujan Samaj Party and the SAD will form a government together in alliance.

"The Congress party will surely be wiped out of power this time," he said.

Earlier, Sukhbir Singh Badal and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal visited Amritsar's Golden Temple.

Sukhbir Singh Badal has contested from Jalalabad assembly constituency while his wife, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, is a Lok Sabha MP.

Counting of votes in the recently concluded assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur, and Goa will take place from on Thursday.