BJP's seat tally set to improve in southern states, most exit polls predict
In Tamil Nadu, where the BJP drew a blank in 2019, it is expected to make inroads by winning 1-3 seats, according to Axis My India.
The Lok Sabha election exit polls on June 1 predicted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is all set to improve its tally in the southern states, the results of which will be announced on June 4. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP managed to secure only 29 out of 129 seats across the five southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Telangana, as well as the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. Of these, 25 came from Karnataka and four from Telangana.
For the 2024 polls, the Axis My India exit poll has predicted 20-22 seats for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka and 2-3 seats for Janata Dal (Secular), besides 3-5 seats for the Congress party.
Read: Kerala exit polls: UDF seen winning at least 15, BJP projected to open account
The ABP-CVoter exit poll has given 23-25 seats to BJP in Karnataka, which has 28 Lok Sabha seats, and the saffron party had won 25 in 2019.
In Tamil Nadu, where the BJP drew a blank in 2019, it is expected to make inroads by winning 1-3 seats, while the ruling DMK will win 20-22 seats, according to Axis My India.
In Kerala, where the BJP has never won a Lok Sabha seat, it is predicted to open its account. Many exit polls have predicted that the party may win 2-3 seats.
The saffron party is pinning its hopes on Union ministers Rajeev Chandrasekhar and V. Muraleedharan, actor Suresh Gopi, and Anil Antony, the son of Congress leader A.K. Antony, from different constituencies in the state.
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Even in Andhra Pradesh, the NDA is predicted to sweep the state. According to the ABP-CVoter exit poll, the NDA is expected to get 21-25 seats and YSRCP to get 0-4 seats in Andhra Pradesh.
In 2019, YSRCP had won 22 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state, while the Telugu Desam Party, which forged an alliance with the BJP, had bagged the remaining three seats.
Read more: CVoter exit poll predicts 353-383 seats for BJP-led NDA, 152-182 for INDIA bloc
However, News18 exit polls predicted that the BJP is likely to win 4-6 seats in Andhra Pradesh, with the NDA securing 19-22 seats. The YSRCP is likely to win 5-8 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh.
All 25 Lok Sabha seats of Andhra Pradesh, along with 175 assembly constituencies, voted in the fourth phase of polling on May 13, 2024. The contest was expected to be triangular, with the Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP pitted against the Congress-led INDIA bloc and the NDA.
