Lok Sabha Election 2024 Results: PM Modi Poised for Historic 3rd Term, INDIA Springs Surprise

The resurgent Opposition had an impressive performance, surpassing the modest expectations set by exit polls. At 8 pm, the BJP was leading on 241 seats and the NDA on 291, while the INDIA bloc was ahead on 232 seats and the Congress on 100. The BJP’s stronghold in Uttar Pradesh seemed to have been disrupted, with the INDIA bloc, including the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, leading in 44 of 80 seats. The BJP had previously swept Uttar Pradesh in 2014 and maintained its ground in 2019, but this time, most exit polls had predicted an advantage for the party.

The BJP also faced challenges in other battleground states, with weaker performance than expected in Bengal and Maharashtra. In Bengal, the BJP was leading in only 11 seats at 3 pm, while Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress was ahead in 31 seats. In Maharashtra, the disapproval of the political maneuverings was evident, with the Uddhav Thackeray faction ahead on 11 seats, the Shiv Sena’s 5, and the Ajit Pawar faction of NCP on just one seat. The BJP and the Congress were neck and neck with 12 and 11 seats, respectively.

However, the BJP’s losses in these states were somewhat balanced by gains in Odisha, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. In Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu was on track for a landslide victory, leading in 158 of 175 constituencies. Odisha also saw a significant win for the BJP, ending the 25-year run of Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal. Prime Minister Modi expressed gratitude to the people, emphasizing the historical feat of NDA’s third consecutive win and reiterating the commitment to fulfilling the aspirations of the people.

Exit polls had predicted a 400-plus score for the BJP-led NDA, but the differences in the margin of victory were dismissed by the Opposition. The BJP’s successes were attributed to promises fulfilled, such as the scrapping of Article 370 and the construction of the Ayodhya Ram temple. The Opposition’s offensive against the ruling coalition, characterized by a change in constitution and the scrapping of reservation, also made an impact, reflecting a shift from the lack of cohesiveness seen in 2019.