Lok Sabha 2024 Results: After seven rounds of polling over six weeks and a record number of votes cast, India is on the brink of a historic decision. Today, the nation will determine whether the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will maintain its rule or if the Congress-led opposition INDIA bloc will exceed expectations and seize power.
Exit polls have mostly unanimously predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set for a historic third term with an overwhelming majority. However, the INDIA bloc, consisting of 40 opposition parties, remains confident in its ability to secure a majority on counting day.
When will the results be out?
Vote counting will start at 8 AM at counting centers nationwide. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that they will count postal ballots first, then open the EVMs.
Leading up to the vote count, campaign tensions between the two rival camps persisted with post-poll accusations. INDIA bloc leaders accused the Prime Minister of influencing the bureaucracy through “fantasy” exit polls, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi dismissed the forecasts as “Modi media polls.” In response, the BJP accused the Opposition of undermining the electoral process’s integrity and urged the Election Commission to prevent any attempts at “violence and unrest” during the counting.
Voting for the 543-member Lok Sabha, excluding the uncontested Surat and Indore seats, took place over seven phases from April 19 to June 1. The election phases occurred on April 19 (Phase 1), April 26 (Phase 2), May 7 (Phase 3), May 13 (Phase 4), May 20 (Phase 5), May 25 (Phase 6), and June 1 (Phase 7).
This election, the largest ever in terms of voter eligibility, saw 96.8 crore people eligible to vote, representing about 70 percent of the total population. Despite a scorching heatwave affecting several parts of the country, India set a world record with 64.2 crore voters, including 31.2 crore women, casting their ballots this year.
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