MUMBAI:  Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut criticized exit polls on Sunday, labeling them as a "corporate game and a fraud" and alleging that media companies conducting these polls are under significant pressure. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Raut asserted that the opposition alliance, INDIA, will secure between 295 to 310 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, positioning them to form the government. He emphasized that the alliance doesn't rely on exit polls since they are actively engaged on the ground and are aware of the "undercurrent" among the people. 

Almost all the exit polls have predicted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi the BJP-led NDA is expected to win a substantial majority in the Lok Sabha elections and he will secure a third consecutive term as the PM.

Raut further questioned the integrity of these media companies, asking, "Do these companies conduct exit polls for free?" He clarified that their own projections are not based on exit polls but on direct feedback from the public. "We don't need exit polls; we are on the ground and understand the sentiment," he said.

Regarding Maharashtra, Raut predicted that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which includes Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), the Congress, and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP), will win more than 35 out of the 48 seats in the state. He also stated that the Shiv Sena would maintain its 2019 tally of 18 seats, and both the Congress and NCP would perform strongly. He specifically mentioned that Supriya Sule, NCP(SP) Lok Sabha member, would win in Baramati by over 1.5 lakh votes, and the Congress would achieve its best performance yet.

Raut added that key states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, and Karnataka, along with Maharashtra, would play a significant role in shifting the balance of power in favor of the opposition-led INDIA bloc. He predicted that the bloc would win 35 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh and that the Rashtriya Janata Dal, led by Lalu Prasad, would secure 16 out of 40 seats in Bihar.