"Many more will join INDIA bloc, to form govt truly of Indians": Congress' Girish Chodankar

Apart from Nagaland, Chodankar also holds charge of Manipur, Tripura and Sikkim. Chodankar addressed a press conference at Nagaland's Kohima on Sunday on the upcoming Urban Local Bodies Elections 2024.

"We are confident of forming the government along with all our alliance partners", he said adding, "Many more will also join us so that it's an INDI alliance. we want to truly make it government of Indians by involving the other political parties minus the BJP."

On the exit polls, the AICC in-charge said, "India has voted against the fake promises, against the misgovernance, the youths have voted because of unemployment problem, the people have voted against the price rise and the inflation, by and large every Indian have voted for future of India, for INDI alliance," and exuded confidence that the "actual counting day" will prove all this exit polls as "another lie" of the present government and the "true picture of the BJP".

Chodankar also acknowledged the people of Nagaland who have taken part in the Lok Sabha Election 2024, "they have seen that it is a clean election", he said. The AICC in charge also said that the party is confident that the people of Nagaland have voted in favour of the Congress and "our PCC President will be declared as Member of the Parliament on June 4 when the counting day is completed", he added.

On the preparations for the Urban Local Bodies Elections 2024, Girish Chodankar said as there are thirty-six Town Councils and three Municipal Councils, the Congress party will encourage the youngsters especially the women to be part of the new body of the Municipal and Town councils and to be the representatives of the wards.

He said that the party strengthened the concept of local self-government, local leadership and local bodies and called upon the youths to be part of the election. The AICC in-charge also stated that as an opposition party, it is the constitutional and democratic duty to keep a good option for the people of Nagaland to start everything from the grassroots level and to build a good future for the leaders who will do clean politics.

Congress Candidate S Supongmeren Jamir, while addressing the press conference said that the Urban Local Bodies Election is a basic element to bring development in the state and that it is in the grassroots level of how it will work in the political system as well as the development of the people. He said that the Congress party is encouraging the youths and women to participate in the election representing the people and their districts for better development.

On the Eastern Nagaland People's Organization not participating in the election process, Jamir said as the ENPO has their resolution, it is up to the wisdom of the ENPO officials whether they will participate or not, however since it is for the development of its people, it is better if they participate, he said.

The exit polls predicted that the ruling BJP-led NDA is poised to improve its performance over its 2019 record when it won 352 seats. Two polls predicted the BJP also improving its numbers from the 303 seats it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

If the exit poll predictions come true on June 4 when votes are counted, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will become the only PM after Jawaharlal Nehru to win three successive terms in Lok Sabha polls. The exit polls predicted 'Modi 3.0' with PM Modi having led the BJP's poll effort through rallies and roadshows in various parts of the country.

According to India Today-Axis My India exit polls, NDA is predicted to win 361-401 seats in the Lok Sabha polls. The INDIA bloc is expected to win 131-166 seats, it said, giving 8 to 20 seats to other parties. The Republic PMarq exit poll gave 359 of 543 seats to NDA, 154 to INDIA bloc and 30 to others. Republic Matrize poll gave 353-368 seats to NDA, 118-113 to the INDIA bloc and 43-48 to others. The NewsX Dynamics gave 371 seats to NDA, 125 to INDIA bloc and 47 to others. (ANI)