Exit polls do not capture the actual sentiments of the public, according to Shashi Tharoor

Following the release of the exit polls forecasting a third consecutive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party along with significant advancements in the southern region, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticized the predictions as being "highly unscientific" and emphasized their focus on the electorate's votes.

He also mentioned that the BJP will not see an increase in popularity in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and is expected to experience a significant decrease in Karnataka.

Addressing the journalists, Mr. Tharoor stated, "We have been travelling throughout the country campaigning and have a sense of what is the reality on the ground. Exit polls are deeply unscientific. Last year, the majority of exit polls got the results wrong in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. What we are interested in is the real poll- the votes of the public are going to decide our political future."

"BJP will lose significantly in Karnataka and they certainly won't gain in Kerala and Tamil Nadu," he added.

He also mentioned that even though Thiruvananthapuram is seen as the BJP's most powerful area in Kerala, coming in second place twice, they also have a strong possibility of being the second-place finisher this time. However, the chances of them prevailing are currently minimal due to the absence of a compelling rationale for it. He stated that the UDF had no cause for concern.

Tharoor characterized the Thiruvananthapuram competition as a tight three-way battle but remained optimistic about coming out victorious. He is being confronted with a difficult competition from BJP's Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and CPI candidate Pannyan Raveendran.