Would rather wait for results than believe in exit polls: Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar, May 11 (PTI) National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said he would rather wait for assembly election results in Karnataka than believe in the exit polls.

“We should wait for the results to come because I have seen that these polls can go anyway,” Abdullah told reporters at Vihil Shopian, in south Kashmir, after he was asked to comment on the exit polls results.

He was there to attend a party event.

Most exit polls on Wednesday predicted a close contest between the Congress and the BJP in the high-stakes Karnataka Assembly polls with many pollsters giving an edge to the grand old party.

Asked about the upcoming G20 tourism working group meeting in Kashmir, Abdullah, a former Union minister, said India hosting the summit this year was not something new as the grouping’s host country changes every year.

“G20 presidency goes to one of the 20 countries every year. This is not something new. The benefit of the G20 is that 20 countries present their problems, look for their solutions, and try to move forward in a friendly environment,” he said.

Asked about his remarks at the party event that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) pays money to several youth in the valley, Abdullah said it was a fact that many youths and tall leaders have been bought by the intelligence agencies.

“Is it not true that our children have been bought? In fact, our tall leaders have been bought. Who were those people who are talking about other parties? Till sometime back, they were with Pakistan. They were beating the drums of Pakistan. Were they not? How come they are Indian today? How?

“Till some time ago, they were under the influence of Pakistan, how have they changed? It is just to weaken the NC. That is their aim,” Abdullah added, without taking any names.