The long wait is finally over as the results of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 are set to be announced today, Tuesday, June 4. The counting of votes is scheduled to begin at 8 am, with early trends expected to emerge shortly after.
The big question on everyone’s mind is whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will secure a third consecutive term, or if the opposition’s INDI bloc will spring a surprise.
Exit polls have overwhelmingly predicted a decisive win for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). According to the News18 Mega Exit Poll, the NDA could secure between 355 and 370 seats, with the BJP alone expected to win between 305 and 315 seats.
This would be a significant majority in the 543-member Lok Sabha. In contrast, the INDI bloc is projected to win between 125 and 140 seats, with Congress accounting for 62 to 72 of these seats. Despite these predictions, the opposition bloc remains optimistic, claiming they will win over 295 seats.
The voting for the Lok Sabha, Bharat’s lower house of Parliament, took place in seven phases from April 19 to June 1. The election campaign was intense and often contentious, reflecting the high stakes involved. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won 303 seats, securing a second term for Prime Minister Modi.
The Congress party, on the other hand, was significantly weaker, managing only 52 seats. Notably, the BJP made significant gains in states like West Bengal and Karnataka in the last election.
This election is particularly notable due to the vast electorate involved. India has nearly 97 crore registered voters, the largest in the world. This includes 49.7 crore male voters, 47.1 crore female voters, and a diverse group of others, such as 82 lakh voters above the age of 85 and 48,000 transgender persons.
In addition, there are 1.8 crore first-time voters, which adds an element of unpredictability to the results.
All major exit polls have predicted a substantial victory for the NDA. The India-Today-My Axis poll and Today’s Chanakya projected that the NDA could win over 400 seats. The ABP-CVoter poll estimated that the ruling alliance might secure between 353 and 383 seats, while the Jan Ki Baat poll predicted a range of 362 to 392 seats for the NDA.
As the counting begins and the results start coming in, all eyes will be on whether the BJP can surpass its 2019 tally and secure a historic third term for Prime Minister Modi. The conclusion of this months-long electoral process will finally answer the pressing questions and set the course for Bharat’s political future.
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