The move by the Congress party to seek a ban on opinion polls before elections came in for criticism from Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Monday.
Talking to reporters in Ludhiana, 110 km from here, Badal said the Congress move showed its desperation. The writing on the wall is clear for the Congress, he said.
He said the Congress leadership knew that the days of the United Progressive Alliance government were numbered, and did not want people to know what opinion polls were indicating.
He said the Akali Dal was in favour of opinion polls.
He pointed out that the Congress leadership never opposed opinion polls in earlier elections, when it suited them. It was now that the polls showed the party faring poorly that the Congress too was having problems with them, he said.