Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday appeared to have accepted the defeat of the INDIA bloc in the general election based on the exit polls that have predicted a landslide win for the BJP-led NDA, saying the wishful thinking of a “social media echo chamber” had been passed off as a national narrative.

Omar’s National Conference is part of the INDIA bloc, whose major partner Congress on Sunday dismissed the exit polls calling it a conspiracy managed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Though Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said they were expecting nothing short of 295 seats, Omar had a different take on the exit polls.

“Déjà vu. 5 years ago during the campaign — ‘he’s gone (Modi is gone) back to Hindu-Muslim, the BJP is in trouble’. Come the exit polls — ‘have you seen the numbers? I’m depressed, this can’t be happening’,” Omar posted on X, referring to Modi’s anti-Muslim rhetoric after the first phase of the elections and how social media reacted to it.

“This year it’s been exactly the same — ‘he’s relying on Muslim bashing, the BJP is in big trouble, they won’t cross 250’. Exit poll time — ‘damn, I’m depressed. How can this be happening again?’ Gotta love this little social media echo chamber where wishful thinking is passed off as the national narrative,” Omar wrote.

Multiple pollsters are predicting a return of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government, winning over 350 seats. The INDIA bloc is predicted to get somewhere around 150 seats.

Unlike Omar, Ramesh said the exit polls were fake and accused Modi and home minister Amit Shah of indulging in psychological games.

In a post on X, Ramesh said the man “whose exit is certain on June 4th has had these exit polls orchestrated”.

“They are trying to put pressure on the Opposition, ECI, counting agents, returning officers and creating an environment that they are coming back but the reality is completely different,” Ramesh wrote.

He added: “The INDIA Janbandhan will definitely get a minimum of 295 seats, which is a clear and decisive majority. The outgoing Prime Minister can remain smug for three days in the meanwhile. These are all psychological games he is masterminding but the ACTUAL results will be very different,” he said.

BJP leader and Jammu and Kashmir in-charge Tarun Chugh said the results would mark an “exit of an arrogant and corrupt INDIA alliance from politics”.

He said the BJP under the leadership of Modi was on the accelerator while the INDIA combine was on ventilator.