Today marks the culmination of India’s seven-phase elections, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluding a two-day meditation and awaiting the results of the exit polls later in the evening. Opposition parties are optimistic about their chances of victory in this election.
During election speeches in Bihar and Punjab, Prime Minister Modi expressed his concern over his opponents before retreating to seclusion in southern India.
Exit polls are expected to be released after the final voting machines are sealed on June 4th. However, it will take several days for Modi to either claim victory or officially confirm the unexpected results.
While Modi and his ministers have refrained from commenting on the possibility of a resounding victory similar to Rajiv Gandhi’s crossing the 400-plus mark, opposition parties anticipate a setback for the BJP, which secured 303 seats in the previous elections.
Modi faces challenges in states like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. Nevertheless, local reports suggest that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is poised to comfortably win 330 seats, aligning with earlier predictions made by TV channels.
With the final phase of polling deciding 57 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, Congress president Mallikarjan Kharge has called a meeting of alliance leaders to strategize for transparent vote counting procedures and discuss concerns about potential horse-trading.
Election fervor is palpable across India, with TV channels projecting Modi’s clear victory while YouTube channels suggest a potential defeat for the BJP.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has urged his party workers and candidates to remain vigilant and not succumb to any temptations from the BJP until the voting process is complete.
It is noteworthy that the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections will see polling in 13 seats in Uttar Pradesh.
In Punjab’s Hoshiarpur, where all 13 seats will be decided in the final phase, Modi cautioned against challenging him during his recent visit, threatening to expose opposition leaders if they continue to target him.
During his visit to Bihar, Modi publicly warned 24-year-old Tejashwi Yadav of imprisonment, despite Tejashwi Yadav’s significant crowd-pulling capability despite not campaigning for his father Lalu Yadav. Legal experts interpreted this as a clear indication of Modi’s control over federal agencies, although Modi has denied such claims.
