In a few hours, the results of the Lok Sabha elections will start trickling in. If exit polls turn out to be true, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance will easily cross the majority mark, securing around 350-400 seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who led a high-voltage election campaign, is likely to get a historic third term, equalling the record of the country’s first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections were held in seven phases beginning April 19, with the last round on June 1. The BJP has set a target of winning 370 seats this election and over 400 for the NDA.
The alliance is challenged by the INDIA bloc, an amalgamation of about 28 opposition parties formed with its first meeting in June 2023 and the aim of presenting a united front against the NDA.
Exit poll predictions
The News18 Mega Exit Poll on Saturday predicted between 305 and 315 Lok Sabha seats for the BJP and 355 to 370 overall for the NDA. According to the survey, the Congress may get only about 62-72 seats in the elections, while its INDIA bloc could end up with a tally of 125-140. Parties outside the two alliances could net 42-52 seats.
In his first comments after voting ended, Modi claimed victory, without referring to the exit polls. “I can say with confidence that the people of India have voted in record numbers to re-elect the NDA government,” he said on social media site X. “The opportunistic INDI Alliance failed to strike a chord with the voters. They are casteist, communal and corrupt.”
The opposition dismissed the exit polls, and ahead of their publication had called them “prefixed”.
Campaign trends
PM Modi began his re-election campaign by focusing on his achievements over the last 10 years but later switched to mostly targeting the Congress by accusing it of favouring certain communities and sections, which the opposition party denies.
The opposition largely campaigned on affirmative action programmes and saving the Constitution from what they call Modi’s “dictatorial rule”, an allegation refuted by the BJP.
Unemployment and inflation are also among key concerns for voters, surveys have said.
Turnout trivia
The elections saw about 642 million voters casting their ballots in the seven phases. This despite some election phases spanning over the scorching summer days in May and June. A record 312 million women also participated in the voting process, the Election Commission said.
Votes were cast at more than 1 million polling stations, with big states like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Bihar going to the polls in each of the seven phases. According to the country’s first-past-the-post multiparty electoral system, a party or coalition must breach the mark of 272 seats to secure a majority.
While the 2024 turnout is higher than the 612 million voters who showed up for the 2019 general elections in terms of absolute numbers, it is about a percentage point lower than the 67.4 per cent turnout five years ago. India had 968 million registered voters in the 2024 elections.
Counting day guide
The counting of votes starts at 8am on June 4, Tuesday. The counting trends and results will be available on the official website of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
In addition, the citizens can also use the Voter Helpline App, available for both iOS and Android phones.
The app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple Play Store.
(With agency inputs)
Read The Latest Updates On Lok Sabha Election 2024 Here.
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