NEW DELHI: The
Lok Sabha exit polls
released on Saturday predicted that the BJP-led NDA will not only win a third term but may better its 2019 results of 353 seats.
Overall exit poll predictions:
- PMARQ predicted that the BJP-led NDA will win 359 seats, opposition bloc INDIA will secure 154 seats and others will win around 30 seats.
- D-Dynamics predicted 371 seats for NDA, 125 for INDIA and 47 for others.
- MATRIZE predicted 353-368 seats for NDA, 118 to 133 seats for INDIA and 43-48 for others.
- Jan Ki Baat has said the NDA will win 377 seats, INDIA 151 and Others 15.
- News Nation said NDA will see victory in at least 360 seats while the opposition bloc will win around 161 seats.
Besides securing an unprecedented third term, the BJP-led NDA had also set a target of clinching more than 400 seats with the saffron party alone eyeing over 370 seats.
According to pollsters, the '400 paar' target may not be achieved.
In 2019, the BJP had won 303 seats on its own while its NDA partners added another 50 to the tally.
The
opposition parties
under the
INDIA bloc
also carried out a strong campaign, attacking the ruling BJP over several key issues such as unemployment and inflation. It remains to be seen whether the
Congress
can better its 2019 results when it won just 52 seats, but exit polls predicted that the INDIA bloc will win roughly 145 seats.
'India has voted': PM Modi
As the exit polls were being announced, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a series of tweets: "India has voted! A heartfelt thank you to all those who exercised their franchise ... The opportunistic INDI Alliance failed to strike a chord with the voters. They are casteist, communal and corrupt. "
Dance of Democracy
The 2024 Lok Sabha polls were held in 7 phases from April 19 to June 1.
Some states like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar saw polling across all 7 phases while states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal and Punjab saw single-phase voting.
Overall voter turnout in all the phases was marginally lower compared to the 2019 polls and a row had erupted over the Election Commission revising voter turnout data days after conclusion of a phase. The poll panel however refuted all allegations.
The 44-day-long election saw hectic, high-octane, and often crude campaigning.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi set off on a whirlwind tour of the country ahead of the elections. He conducted multiple rallies almost every day, sometimes across several states. He also gave interviews to most of the major news channels. Before the start of the last phase, PM Modi went on a 45-hour meditation at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanniyakumari.
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