New Delhi, June 1 (Bureau) A clutch of exit polls on Saturday predicted a clean sweep for BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi heading for a hat trick. At least four Exit polls, NewsX-D-Dynamics, Jan Ki Baat, Republic Bharat-MATRIZE and Republic TV-PMARQ, have projected over 350 seats for NDA, while Congress party-led INDIA alliance managing to secure only 125-161 seats. The BJP had won 303 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. NDA’s tally was 353 in the last general election.
In the 543-member Lok Sabha, a party or alliance needs 272 seats to get a simple majority. Before the exit polls were aired by various media houses, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge held a meeting with INDIA alliance partners and claimed that the grouping would win more than 295 seats. He said that he had arrived at the number following feedback from the ground and inputs from alliance partners. In the past, exit polls have on several occasions proved wrong. For instance, most of the exit polls failed to get the pulse of the voters in the last Karnataka state assembly elections. The exit polls showed BJP significantly raising its vote share in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala even as the party was seen getting very few seats.
The seventh and the last phase of general election concluded today and the counting of votes is scheduled on June 4. Reacting to exit poll findings, several opposition leaders in a satirical tone dismissed it as ‘PM Modi’s surveys’ stating that the real numbers would be known only on the counting day. Most exit polls have suggested NDA continuing its hold in the Hindi heartland states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh. In the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh which sends 80 members to Lok Sabha, most exit polls have predicted BJP either retaining its previous tally or improving it. The BJP-led NDA is seen winning 67-74 seats in Uttar Pradesh. In Bihar, INDIA alliance is seen snatching a few seats from NDA. In the state of West Bengal, the BJP is seen making huge gains with India Today-Axis My India exit poll predicting 26-31 seats for the saffron party while Mamata Banerjee-led TMC bagging only 11-14 seats.