New Delhi: After a review of the third phase of polling, Congress today (May 6, 2004) rubbished the exit polls projections and claimed it was "absolutely" confident of forming a Government headed by it.

"Exit polls are unscientific. We are absolutely confident that there will be a Congress-led secular Government at the Centre," party spokesman S Jaipal Reddy told reporters after a 90 minute meeting of the senior party leaders to review the performance and finalise strategy for the fourth and the final phase of Lok Sabha polls.

He said the strategy committee meeting presided over by senior party leader Arjun Singh reviewed yesterday's third phase of polls in 83 seats in seven States. "Our impression is that the trends are in favour of Congress party and against BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)," he said.

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Political Parties in India

Asked whether it will be Congress-led Government or the party would support secular parties, he said all these matters would be discussed after the May 13 when results were declared.

To a specific question Reddy, however, said the current elections were the "finals" and not the "semi-finals" and the party was confident of its victory.

"We consider this as final and not the semi-final and we are confident of our victory," he said when told no Congress-supported Government had survived for long and Governments supported by it had collapsed leading to fresh elections.

Stating that BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has been rejected by the people, Reddy, who also attended the meeting, he said the thrust of the final phase of electioneering would be that the country cannot afford this NDA Government any more.