New Delhi: Several exit polls on Saturday predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain power for a third consecutive term, with the BJP-led NDA expected to secure a significant majority in the Lok Sabha elections.
These exit polls suggest that the ruling alliance is likely to gain ground in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and dominate Karnataka, though it may see a decline in its tally in states such as Bihar, Rajasthan, and Haryana.
The Republic TV-P Marq poll projects the ruling alliance winning up to 359 seats, with the opposition INDIA bloc securing 154 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. Similarly, the Republic TV-Matrize poll forecasts 353-368 seats for the NDA and 118-133 seats for the opposition.
The Jan Ki Baat poll estimates 362-392 seats for the NDA and 141-161 for the opposition alliance. The India TV-CNX poll predicts 371-401 seats for the NDA and 109-139 seats for the opposition, while News Nation’s poll anticipates 342-378 seats for the NDA and 153-169 seats for the opposition.
As of 8:40 pm, a few other exit polls, including those from Axis My India and Today’s Chanakya, had yet to provide their full forecasts.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP won 303 seats, with the NDA tally at 353. The Congress secured 53 seats, and its allies took 38. The ‘INDIA’ bloc was formed by opposition parties to challenge the BJP in this election.
Following the conclusion of the seventh and final phase of voting on Saturday, Modi expressed confidence that the electorate had turned out in record numbers to re-elect the NDA government. He stated that the “opportunistic INDI Alliance” failed to resonate with voters, who rejected their “regressive politics.”
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, after a meeting of the opposition INDIA bloc, claimed that the alliance would win more than 295 seats. “We have arrived at this figure after consulting all our leaders. This is based on people’s feedback. Government surveys and media often inflate figures, but we want to present the reality,” he said.
BJP President J P Nadda, on the other hand, asserted that voters had chosen a capable, powerful, developed, and self-reliant India, rejecting appeasement, nepotism, and corruption. He expressed confidence that the BJP would win more than 370 Lok Sabha seats, with the NDA surpassing 400.
The vote counting will take place on June 4.
