Exit polls predicted a win for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance

Asserting that neither the Election Commission (EC) nor the state and Central governments could be trusted on EVMs and counting of votes, Chandrakant Kavlekar, Leader of the Opposition in the Goa Assembly, on Tuesday demanded a ban on exit poll agencies that willfully misguided voters.

Opposition party leaders across the country have already dismissed Sunday's exit polls, which predicted an overwhelming majority for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and a good electoral performance by the BJP.

"Some exit polls, that fail over and over again, are used to misguide people. May be they want to plant a doubt in people's minds. Exit polls need to be based on facts. Those conducting exit polls on behalf of some vested interests for money should be banned immediately," Mr Kavlekar told reporters at a press conference in Panaji.

Mr Kavlekar said that the administrative machinery of the Election Commission (EC), as well as the state and the Central governments could not be trusted when it came to the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the counting process.

"We suspect attempts to rig the counting process and therefore we have instructed our party workers to stay on guard and not rely on the EC and the government officials on duty," the Congress leader said.