New Delhi, India — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance is set to secure a sweeping victory in India’s general elections, according to multiple exit polls released on Saturday. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is projected to win between 355 and 380 seats in the 543-member lower house of parliament, far surpassing the 272-seat threshold needed for a simple majority.
The six exit polls that indicate a clear majority for the NDA include:
– Republic Bharat-P Marq: 359 seats
– India News-D-Dyanamics: 371 seats
– Republic Bharat-Matrize: 353-368 seats
– Dainik Bhaskar: 281-350 seats
– News Nation: 342-378 seats
– Jan Ki Baat: 362-392 seats
An additional exit poll by CNN-News18 forecasts the NDA winning 355 seats. These projections suggest the NDA may exceed its 2019 performance, when it secured 353 seats, with the BJP winning 303 of them.
Despite these predictions, the opposition INDIA alliance, led by Rahul Gandhi’s Congress party, dismissed the exit polls as biased and unreliable. The alliance is projected to win over 120 seats. Opposition leaders, meeting at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence earlier on Saturday, criticized the exit polls as “prefixed” and accused major news channels of favoring Modi, a claim the channels deny.
The general election, which saw nearly one billion eligible voters, took place in seven phases starting on April 19 and concluded amid intense summer heat. The Election Commission will count votes on June 4, with results expected the same day.
In his first remarks after voting concluded, Modi confidently predicted an NDA victory without referencing the exit polls directly. “I can say with confidence that the people of India have voted in record numbers to re-elect the NDA government,” he posted on X. He also criticized the opposition, calling them “casteist, communal, and corrupt.”
A third consecutive term for Modi, 73, would make him only the second prime minister after independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru to achieve this milestone. In Varanasi, Modi’s constituency, supporters expressed excitement about his potential return to power.
“I voted for growth and development of my country,” said Brijesh Taksali, a resident of Varanasi. “There’s only one leader that I know … Narendra Modi. I voted for him.”
However, not all sentiments were positive. Janesar Akhtar, a Muslim clothesmaker in Varanasi, criticized the BJP’s focus on sectarian issues over economic concerns. “Workshops here are closing down and the Modi government has been busy with the politics of temples and mosques,” he said. “He is supposed to give us jobs and not tensions.”
