NDA takes lead: Sushma

Sushma Swaraj has claimed that all the exit polls were unanimous that the NDA coalition was way ahead of the opposition Congress with a "pro-incumbency" wave in the first phase of the LS elections across the country.

Union Health Minister and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday claimed that all the exit polls were unanimous that the NDA coalition was way ahead of the opposition Congress with a "pro-incumbency" wave in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections across the country.

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"Though the various exit polls had different figures but were unanimous that the NDA coalition is way ahead of the Congress with a pro-incumbency wave seen for the first time in the country," Swaraj told reporters.

"Earlier there was either a negative wave as in 1977 when the people decided to defeat a particular party or as the sympathetic wave in 1984," she pointed out.

"But for the first time on the basis of the good work done by our government a pro-incumbency wave was seen all over the country," asserted the minister who was on her way to campaign for the BJP in Jorhat and Duliajan.

Claiming the BJP either maintained its tally or improved the count, Swaraj asserted that the Congress faced setbacks in its own states, including Assam, as per the exit polls.

She was confident that the NDA coalition would come back to power with simple majority to form the government again at the Centre.

Sushma also said that in her campaign meetings on Wednesday, she would appeal the electorate to vote on the basis of the NDA programmes and the country's leadership issues.

Referring to the performance of the BJP in the Northeast region which has 25 Lok Sabha seats including Assam's 14, she said, "Earlier Congress used to start their tally with these 25, but today the scenario has substantially changed".

"We now have our government in Arunachal Pradesh, governments of ally in Mizoram and Sikkim, made dent in Assam in earlier polls and in Mehalaya Sangma is an ally," Sushma said giving an account of the BJP in road into the region.

"Our number here is not very big numerically, but politically very significant," she pointed out.

For the first time a separate ministry (DONER) was created for Development of the N-E Region leading to all the doubts in the N-E peoples minds to go away, allayed their apprehensions and fears", Swaraj said.

Getting four seats for the BJP in northern India and getting as many in the NER had a glaring difference as it had a much greater impact, she added.