Rae Bareilly: Dismissing the projections of various opinion and exit polls as contradictory, Congress president Sonia Gandhi today (Apr 22, 2004) claimed the results will be in favour of Congress, which would form the Government at the Centre.

"We are heading towards forming a Government at the Centre," Gandhi said at a press conference in her Lok Sabha constituency, once held by her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi.

Elections 2004-The Drama unfolds...
Political Parties in India

The projections of various exit polls conducted after the first phase of elections on Tuesday (Apr 20, 2004) are contradictory when the "truth is that the poll results would go in favour of the Congress", she said on the second day of campaigning in Rae Bareilly.

Gandhi, however, refused to hazard a guess on how many seats the party was likely to win in Uttar Pradesh and said the results would be positive.

Overwhelmed by the people's response, an emotional Sonia said she was touched by the respect that was being showered on her in the "family constituency." She also expressed hope that she would win by a huge margin.

Brushing aside reports that she had a soft corner for UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh, she said it was necessary for secular parties to unite for the defeat of communal forces.

However, to a specific query on an alliance with Samajwadi Party (SP), she said without naming anyone, "Some parties have a tacit understanding among themselves."