Votes polled within the seven section Lok Sabha election can be counted tomorrow
New Delhi:
The countdown to Verdict 2024 has begun. After a 44-day Lok Sabha election wherein 64 crore individuals throughout India voted in seven rounds, the votes can be counted at this time and outcomes can be introduced.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP, searching for a 3rd time period in energy, is assured of creating massive beneficial properties moreover holding on to its conventional strongholds. Alternatively, the opposition INDIA bloc, wherein events with totally different ideologies have come collectively in opposition to the BJP, insists that exit polls are off the mark.
Because the nation waits for the mega verdict, listed below are battleground states that will maintain the important thing.
West Bengal: Among the many BJP’s key focus areas on this election, West Bengal has 42 Lok Sabha seats. Within the 2019 election, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress received 22 seats — 12 down from its 2014 tally. The BJP scored an enormous bounce from two seats in 2014 to 18 in 2019. This time, the BJP has gone all-out in its Bengal marketing campaign to additional increase its footprint within the state. In addition to including to its Lok Sabha tally, a very good Bengal rating may even give the BJP a bonus forward of the 2026 state polls.
Considerably, the BJP’s good present within the 2019 common election didn’t absolutely convert to stellar numbers within the 2021 state polls. However the occasion, led by Chief of Opposition in Bengal Meeting Suvendu Adhikari and state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar, have doggedly focused the Trinamool authorities on native points within the run-up to the election.
Exit polls have predicted beneficial properties for the BJP, with some projections handing the occasion as a lot as 26 seats out of 42. Ms Banerjee has trashed the predictions, saying they’ve “no worth”.
A giant rating in Bengal is crucial to the BJP for a number of causes. The occasion is hoping that beneficial properties within the East and South will assist it widen its base past heartland states. Additionally, the BJP had maxed out in states akin to Maharashtra in 2019, and after a change in equations, might lose some seats there. This loss must be lined.
A surge in Bengal for the BJP may even be an enormous blow for the INDIA bloc in a key Opposition stronghold.
Maharashtra: In no different state has the political panorama altered between two elections as a lot as in Maharashtra. Within the 2019 polls, the BJP and the Shiv Sena have been in an alliance. Collectively, they received 41 out of 48 seats. This time, the image is totally totally different. Shiv Sena has cut up into two factions — one led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde that backs the BJP and one other led by Uddhav Thackeray. Sharad Pawar’s NCP, too, has cut up and his nephew Ajit Pawar now leads the breakaway faction that is part of the NDA authorities.
The NDA and INDIA have a faction of the Shiv Sena and NCP every, and each worry a cut up in votes.
tally for the INDIA bloc in Maharashtra will increase the Opposition’s nationwide rating and is vital to its mission to beat the BJP. For the BJP, the problem is to arrest its losses in a state that had contributed considerably to its 2019 tally.
Most exit polls have predicted that whereas the NDA may even see a drop in its rating as in comparison with 2019, the BJP-led alliance would be the dominant pressure. INDIA leaders have trashed the predictions.
Odisha: One other japanese state the place the BJP is hoping for beneficial properties this time is Biju Janata Dal’s bastion Odisha, the place Meeting polls have been held alongside the Lok Sabha election. Within the 2019 election, Naveen Patnaik’s BJD received 12 out of the coastal state’s 21 seats and the BJP received eight. The BJP’s rating then had seen an enormous bounce — from 1 seat in 2014 to eight in 2019. This time, the BJP has aimed to emerge because the single-largest occasion in Odisha.
Considerably, the BJP and BJD have been on the verge of forging an alliance for the elections earlier than talks fell by.
In addition to Bengal, Odisha is one other massive aim within the BJP’s Mission East. The occasion’s high leaders, together with PM Modi and Union Residence Minister Amit Shah, have campaigned exhaustively within the state.
Exit polls have predicted huge beneficial properties for the BJP in Odisha. The BJD has trashed the projection and mentioned exit polls for Odisha have been confirmed mistaken in 2014 and 2019 and the pattern would proceed this time.
Bihar: Among the many nation’s most politically-significant states the place caste arithmetic performs a key position, Bihar might have a big effect on the BJP’s plans. The NDA alliance — comprising BJP and JDU — received 39 out of the 40 seats in Bihar in 2019. Shortly after, the Nitish Kumar-led JDU parted methods with the BJP and joined fingers with arch-rival RJD. Nevertheless, following one other flip-flop, the JDU is again with the BJP. The NDA bloc contains Chirag Paswan’s LJP faction, former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha and former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
Up in opposition to them is the INDIA entrance, comprising the Tejashwi Yadav-led RJD, Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Get together, CPI, CPM and CPI-ML.
The INDIA bloc is relying on Bihar to spice up its rating, and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav have campaigned collectively.
The BJP had received 303 Lok Sabha seats within the 2019 polls and states like Bihar that it nearly swept performed a key position in including to its numbers. A setback in Bihar can doubtlessly derail the Opposition push, making it one of the vital battlegrounds this election.
Most exit polls have predicted that INDIA bloc would end in single digits and the NDA could be the dominant pressure. The RJD has trashed the declare and known as the exit polls a “psychological trick”.
Telangana: One other key battleground on this election is Telangana and the reason being the Congress’s thumping win within the state polls final 12 months. Within the 2019 common election, former Chief Minister Ok Chandrashekar Rao’s Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now Bharat Rashtra Samithi) received 9 of the state’s 17 seats. The BJP received 4 and the Congress three.
The BRS’s rout within the state polls final 12 months and the Congress’s beautiful victory has opened up the Telangana contest. Each the BJP and the Congress are eyeing the votes that went to the TRS final time.
Exit polls have predicted a good race between the BJP and the Congress in Telangana, each gaining at the price of the BRS.
Karnataka: In addition to Telangana, Karnataka is one other status combat for the Congress as it’s in energy within the state. Within the 2019 election, the BJP received 25 of the state’s 28 seats, and the Congress and the JDS — then allies — one every. This time, JDS has switched sides to the NDA and the Congress goes it alone.
Successful Karnataka is crucial for the Congress as a result of it’s a take a look at of its organisational energy in one of many few states it guidelines. Even inside the INDIA bloc, the Congress may have higher bargaining energy provided that it maximises its tally in states the place it’s contesting alone.
Most exit polls have given the BJP a transparent majority in Karnataka. The Congress, they’ve predicted, can be confined to single digits.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar have rubbished the predictions.
Andhra Pradesh: This election may even see former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu making a smashing comeback and the BJP will acquire massively if that occurs. Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP has tied up with the BJP in Andhra, which has 25 Lok Sabha seats. The TDP is contesting 17 seats, the BJP six and the remaining two have gone to actor-politician Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Get together. On the opposite aspect is incumbent YSR Congress Get together, led by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. Like Odisha, Andhra additionally voted concurrently in state polls. Within the 2019 election, YSRCP swept the Lok Sabha polls by profitable 22 seats, lowering TDP to simply three. This time round, a very good present by TDP will increase NDA numbers, benefiting the BJP.
If the BJP manages to win a number of the seats by itself, it’ll consolidate its place in a state it has little presence in.
As for the INDIA bloc, the Congress, led by Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sister YS Sharmila, is contesting 23 seats. The remaining seats have gone to the Left as a part of seat-sharing.
Exit polls have predicted an NDA sweep in Telangana, with some estimates giving the ruling YSRCP zero seats.
Uttar Pradesh: India’s most politically important state when it comes to the sheer variety of Lok Sabha seats, Uttar Pradesh is at all times beneath electoral limelight.
Within the 2019 election, the BJP received 62 of the state’s 80 seats, with BSP and Samajwadi Get together, then allies, profitable 10 and 5 seats, respectively. This time, the Samajwadi Get together and the Congress have tied up and the BSP is by itself.
For, the Congress, Amethi and Rae Bareli, its household strongholds, are status battles. This holds very true for Amethi, the place Rahul Gandhi misplaced to BJP’s Smriti Irani final time. Whereas Samajwadi Get together is contesting 62 seats, the Congress is combating 17.
The BJP has caught to its outdated ally, Apna Dal (Sonelal), and has additionally introduced in Jayant Chaudhary’s RLD and OP Rajbhar’s Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Get together into the NDA fold. Exit polls have given the NDA an edge in Uttar Pradesh, however the INDIA bloc leaders have dismissed the projections.
BJP’s Massive South Push
In its push to increase its presence in peninsular India, the BJP has campaigned extensively in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Regardless of its formidable dominance within the heartland states, the BJP has not managed a breakthrough in these states. It has received the odd Lok Sabha seat in Tamil Nadu, however is but to open its account in Kerala.
This time, the BJP, beneath the management of state occasion chief Ok Annamalai, broke up with its former ally AIADMK and tied up with a number of smaller regional forces, together with A Ramadoss’s PMK. In Kerala, it has tied up with Bharath Dharma Jana Sena.
Exit polls have predicted a very good present for the BJP in each these states. If the numbers maintain true, it will be a significant victory for the Narendra Modi-led occasion and bolster its pan-India presence. Opposition events, nonetheless, have rejected the projections.
