Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc will participate in television debates on exit polls of the Lok Sabha elections on Saturday evening, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said.
The decision came after a meeting of the top opposition leaders at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
"After considering factors for and against participating in the exit polls, it has been decided by consensus that all the INDIA (bloc) parties will participate in the exit poll debates on television this evening," Khera said on X.
He added that the INDIA bloc parties met and decided to expose the BJP and its ecosystem on the “prefixed” exit polls.
Khera had earlier said the Congress party would skip the media debates on exit polls as it did not want to indulge in speculation and slugfest for TRP.
"The Indian National Congress will not participate in the debates on Exit Polls. The purpose of any debate should be to inform the people. We will happily partake in debates from 4th June onwards," he had said in a statement on Friday.
The BJP had taken a swipe at the Congress decision, saying decision to not participate in exit poll debates is the confirmation that the opposition party has conceded defeat.
"The Congress ran the campaign through the polls that it is going to get a majority. But it has now realised the reality and knows that it faces a rout in the exit polls to be broadcast after the elections tomorrow," Home Minister Amit Shah said.
Shah said Congress leaders should not be in denial and instead introspect, as he accused the party of casting aspersions on the Supreme Court and the Election Commission when judicial judgments and poll results do not favour it.