Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the exit polls projected exaggerated gains for Bharatiya Janata Party in the just-concluded polling in the Lok Sabha elections.

Akhilesh wrote a letter to the rank and file of the party and it is circulating in social media.

“There is no need for despair and do not get misled by exit poll results. With the support of the public, Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance is set to register a historic victory in Lok Sabha elections. The poll results will not only stun pollsters but will also go a long way in redefining the politics of Hindi heartland,” Akhilesh Yadav said in his letter.

“The authenticity of exit polls will be exposed on the day of counting — May 23. Party leaders and workers should remain present at counting centres to thwart designs of the BJP government to manipulate poll results,” the SP chief said.

Meanwhile, the SP directed party cadre to guard strongrooms in shifts of eight hours each.

SP state chief Naresh Uttam in an advisory issued to districts asked district chiefs to deploy experienced counting agents along with senior advocates in the counting halls till the process was completed.

The BSP has also asked its workers to guard the strongrooms and match the EVM numbers so that they could not be changed at the time of counting.

The advisory further asks workers to ensure that the green paper seal and special tags are the same and only then permission be given to open EVM for counting.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has also sent out a message asking party workers not to get demoralised by exit polls predictions and rumours.

“My dear Congress workers, don’t lose heart because of exit polls and rumours. Such things are spread to demoralise you. You should be more alert now. Stay firm outside the strongrooms and at counting centres. We have firm belief that our hard work will not go waste,” Priyanka said in her message.