New Delhi: The exit polls streamed in Saturday night, with all major surveys projecting the BJP-led NDA’s resounding victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP and its allies are expected to breach the 300-seat mark once again, with major gains in the southern states where the BJP gained not just vote share but also seats.
A big win for the ruling BJP-led NDA has been predicted by twelve exit polls – India Today- Axis My India (361-401), News 24-Today’s Chanakya (400), ABP News-C Voter (353-383), Republic Bharat- P Marq (359), India News- D-Dyanamics (371), Republic Bharat- Matrize (353-368), Dainik Bhaskar (281-350), News Nation (342-378), TV 9 Bharatvarsh- Polstrat (342), Times Now-ETG (358), India TV- CNX (362-392) and Jan Ki Baat (362-392).
The exit polls have also predicted NDA dominance in Karnataka and Maharashtra and Left-led alliance’s rout in Kerala. In Bengal, the exit polls predicted a better performance for the BJP than it did the last time (22). Most exit polls have said that the BJP will now be the single-largest party in Bengal in terms of Lok Sabha seats.
(Exit polls are not always accurate.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 73, and his party, BJP, is widely expected to come back to power for a third straight term. The Congress, hamstrung by poll losses and a string of defections, is part of the Opposition bloc INDIA taking on the BJP.
In the 2019 polls, BJP romped home with 303 seats and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) pushed the number to 352. The Congress secured 52 seats and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) totalled 91.
The BJP this time has set a target of 370 seats and with help from its allies aims to go past the 400 mark. There are 543 seats in the Lower House of Parliament and the majority mark is 272.
Election results are to be announced on Tuesday.