The Lok Sabha election in India that shines as a hallmark of a robust democratic process has concluded on 1st June’2024. After the voting process, the exit polls have finally shed light on the results that all netizens have been eagerly waiting for. The exit polls are a set of predictions released by multiple agencies that predict the winners and their margin of victory in the electoral process. The idea is to infer sentiment before the actual results.

Exit polls were indigenously developed in India by the Delhi-based Center for Study of Developing Societies(CSDS) in the 1960s. Although highly anticipated by almost all sections of society, the exit poll predictions have not been able to keep themselves immune from the vagaries of inaccuracies. Although exit polls are an ideal way to vindicate the democratic set-up, they are not immune to the law that regulates its process. Section 126A of the ‘Representation of the People’s Act-1951’ bans exit polls from the beginning of the polls until half an hour after the final phase of the voting. Anyone who does not follow the provisions of this section is liable for either punishment or fine or both under this section.

Exit polls predict a massive win for the BJP-led NDA alliance in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. This prediction is unanimous by all the participating pollsters. According to reports, the BJP-led NDA is all set to win more than 400 of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha and storm its way into a 3rd consecutive term. The polls predict a comfortable win for the BJP in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. As per the polls, the BJP-led NDA could win 7 seats in Tamil Nadu which will be a big boost for the prospects for BJP in the state. The polls predict a massive foot-hold for BJP in West Bengal with more than 26 seats.

The Honourable PM, Mr. Narendra Modi stated in a post in X – “I can say with confidence that the people of India have voted in record numbers to reelect the NDA government.”

Although the results might vary a little from the actuals on 4th June’2024, they certainly reflect that the public mood is not in line with the narratives that the opposition INDI alliance set forth. The popular opinion seems to be toeing the line for a pro-development streak that the BJP-led NDA alliance promises and delivers.