Although an overwhelming majority of exit polls have predicted his party to come to a cropper in Lok Sabha election 2019, Rahul Gandhi remains hopeful a day before counting of votes and has asked Congress workers remain alert and vigilant.

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, the Congress president asked party workers to not lose hope. "Dear workers of the Congress party, the next 24 hours are important," his tweet in Hindi read. "Stay alert and vigilant. You are fighting for the truth. Don't be demoralized by fake exit polls. Believe in yourself and in the Congress party. Your work won't be in vain."

Rahul's tweet came around the same time as when the Election Commission rejected Opposition demand to tally the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips before the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) on counting day - May 23. The EC said that there won't be any change in the counting process despite a delegation of 22 opposition leaders demanding VVPAT slips should be counted first.

कांग्रेस पार्टी के प्रिय कार्यकर्ताओं ,

अगले 24 घंटे महत्वपूर्ण हैं। सतर्क और चौकन्ना रहें। डरे नहीं। आप सत्य के लिए लड़ रहे हैं । फर्जी एग्जिट पोल के दुष्प्रचार से निराश न हो। खुद पर और कांग्रेस पार्टी पर विश्वास रखें, आपकी मेहनत बेकार नहीं जाएगी।

जय हिन्द।

राहुल गांधी

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 22, 2019

Shortly after the EC's decision, Congress held a press conference in which party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi once again claimed that the BJP is responsible for dictating terms to the EC.

The battle for triumph in Lok Sabha election 2019 has been long-drawn and intense. Congress was decimated in Lok Sabha election 2014 and has since been desperate to return to power. BJP, however, remains sure of getting another term.

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