D-Day nears; parties keep fingers crossed

PATNA: A day after conclusion of seven-phase Lok Sabha elections in the state and exit poll projections, functionaries of different political parties were busy taking feedbacks from grassroots workers on Monday and chalking out strategies for post-poll scenarios.
Though key functionaries of various political parties seemed a bit relaxed after hectic electioneering, they were seen comparing the exit poll predictions with the feedbacks they received from party workers at the grassroots level.
“We could not concentrate on reports coming from the constituencies which went to polls in initial phases as the elections were a long-drawn exercise this time. We are now getting in touch with our grassroots workers and collecting reports from them on polling pattern and caste equations,” RJD state spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan said.
JD(U) spokesperson Sanjay Singh also said the party functionaries collected reports from the ground on Monday. “The party functionaries and workers are excited with the trends shown in exit polls. It is, however, still too early to talk about formation of the next government at the Centre,” Sanjay said.
The BJP workers were equally ecstatic. “We are now waiting for PM Narendra Modi to take oath for his second term,” BJP state president Nityanand Rai said. “After the declaration of Lok Sabha poll results and oath-taking ceremony, we will start preparing for the assembly elections in the state to be held next year,” he added.
Senior Congress functionaries were also seen holding parleys with their state president Madan Mohan Jha at Sadaquat Ashram. “The exit polls are an eyewash. On several occasions in the past, the exit polls had gone horribly wrong,” Congress’s state manifesto chairman and research department incharge Anand Madhab said. He added that the party has started analysing performances of its candidates in order to get ready for the future.
Meanwhile, Congress’s Patna Sahib candidate Shatrughan Sinha organised a get-together for party workers on Sunday after the conclusion of the polling process.