Lok Sabha Elections 2024 highlights: INDIA bloc trying to undermine electoral process, alleges BJP

Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai took a dig at the opposition alliance, the INDIA bloc, while expressing happiness over the exit poll results, which predicted a thumping majority for the NDA in the Centre and an improved vote share in the southern states, including Kerala and Telangana.

"I am equally delighted at the in states like Tamil Nadu, where I belong, the vote share is going up...in Kerala, Telangana and all parts of south India, people have decided that this time they will stand with PM Modi," Annamalai told ANI on Saturday.

The exit poll predicted a marked rise in NDA's vote share in Tamil Nadu.

After the exit polls predicted a third straight win for the Bharatiya Janata Party including a gain in the south, BJP candidate from Bengaluru South, Tejasvi Surya said that the exit polls indicate that the Congress party's and INDI alliance's attempt to divide the country based on region and language has failed.

"The exit polls are also indicating a surge for the BJP in all of southern states in India. This again indicates that the people of the country, people from south of India have very clearly unequivocally rejected the Congress party's and INDI alliance's view that south India is somewhat different from the north of India. That their (Congress party's and INDI alliance's) attempt to project, portray and divide India on the basis of region and language has failed," he told ANI.

Former Indian envoy and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Amritsar parliamentary seat in Punjab, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, welcomed the predictions made by various exit polls regarding the Lok Sabha elections, and affirmed confidence that he will come out victorious from the seat.

"According to me, the earlier predictions have been sustained. The development that has happened under BJP...These predictions of exit poll, say that PM Modi's govt is coming back with a huge majority," he said while speaking to ANI.

"I am confident that the people of Amritsar have supported the BJP and the party candidate will win from here," he added.

On the exit poll results showing a big win for the NDA in the country, BJP candidate from Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain, Anil Firojiya, said that it showed what they had been saying since a long time.

"We have the blessings of Lord Mahakaal and the people. I am confident that we will form the government at the Centre. Here in Ujjain, we will break the record of last time,” he said.

Punjab saw a voter turnout of 56.63 percent as all its 13 seats went to polls on Saturday in the seventh phase of Lok Sabha elections, while 68 percent electors exercised their franchise in the Chandigarh parliamentary constituency.

In 2019, the voter turnout in the state was 65.96 per cent while it was 70.62 per cent in the Union Territory (UT) of Chandigarh.

Security beefed up as EVMs are being kept in rooms in Ferozepur, Punjab. The counting of votes for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 is scheduled to be held on June 4.

On the exit poll results showing a big win for the NDA, Rajasthan government minister Avinash Gehlot said, “I and the whole country believe that on June 4 at 4 pm, the number will cross 400, the people of the country are with PM Modi. This was the people's election and the people are winning it, we will win more than 400 seats.”

"Heartfelt gratitude to our outstanding security forces for their unwavering vigilance during the entire elections. Their efforts have ensured a safe and secure environment, enabling people to take part in the polling process with ease. Their service to the nation is deeply appreciated by each one of us," says PM Modi in X post.

On exit polls, AAP MP Sanjay Singh says, "This exit poll has been prepared in the BJP office... Who will believe that BJP is getting a 34% vote share in Tamil Nadu? Who will believe that AAP is winning 0-2 seats in Punjab?... The 'Janta ka exit poll' based on the figures shared by INDIA alliance leaders in today's meeting says that we will win more than 295 seats... I am surprised that only 400 seats are to the BJP (in the exit polls). They could have given 700, which could have been possible from 'Akhand Bharat'... The BJP has done a huge 'hera pheri' (foul play) and to hide that, such numbers are shown in the exit polls..."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is cruising to a landslide victory in the general elections and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to become the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to secure three consecutive terms, a clutch of exit polls predicted on Saturday as the Lok Sabha polls closed after six gruelling weeks. Read more

Preparations for counting of votes for General Elections to the 18th Lok Sabha in respect of two Parliamentary Constituencies of Manipur on June 4, 2024 are in full swing, officials said on Saturday.

“All necessary arrangements as prescribed by the Election Commission are well in place. A three-layer security cordon will be enforced at all counting centres on counting day and entry of unauthorised persons will be restricted,” says Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pradeep Kumar Jha Manipur. “However, authorised media persons with valid Pass and counting agents will be allowed access to the counting centres.”

Counting of votes will be taken up at 24 counting centres in 11 district headquarters of Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Chandel, Ukhrul,Senapati, Kangpokpi, Tamenglong, Churachandpur and Jiribam in a total of 50 counting halls,the CEO said in the press release.

Five counting halls have been earmarked for counting of Postal Ballots and ETPBS at the headquarters of the two Returning Officers of l-Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency and II-Outer Manipur (Scheduled Tribe) Parliamentary Constituency and the remaining 45 halls will be used for counting of EVMs and VVPATs, the CEO added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday exuded confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party led National Democratic Alliance will retain power at the centre for a third straight term, claiming he was confident that the people have voted for the coalition.

He also said the people of the country have “rejected” the “regressive politics” of the INDIA bloc, referring to it as an “opportunistic alliance”.

“I can say with confidence that the people of India have voted in record numbers to reelect the NDA government. They have seen our track record and the manner in which our work has brought about a qualitative change in the lives of the poor, marginalised and downtrodden,” he said in a post on ‘X’ on the conclusion of the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls, the results of which will be declared on Tuesday.

Political clashes erupted in multiple pockets in West Bengal leaving several persons injured during the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday.

“Voting was held by and large peacefully with sporadic incidents of violence. There were no major untoward incidents. There was heavy deployment of security forces. We have sought reports from the district authorities. Till 5 pm the voter turnout was around 69.8%,” said a poll panel official in Kolkata.

Clashes were mostly reported from Bhangar in South 24 Parganas and Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas.

“At least six persons were injured in a clash which broke out on Saturday morning ahead of the polls. We have arrested two persons. The polling process started peacefully,” said a senior IPS officer in Kolkata.

Barring stray incidents of scuffle at some booths, voting in eight Lok Sabha seats in Bihar—Patna Sahib, Patliputra, Nalanda, Arrah, Karakat, Buxar, Sasaram and Jehanabad—passed off peacefully on Saturday with an estimated 50.56% electorate exercising their franchise. Four booths of Nalanda, Patliputra and Jehanabad Lok Sabha seats had poll boycotted over local issues.

Although electorates’ turn out was around 0.68% lower this time vis-a-vis 2019 (51.24%), chief electoral officer, Bihar, HR Srinivasa said the final figure will would go up as voters’ data was still being complied.

Additional director general of police (ADG), headquarter, JS Gangwar said that a few incidents of clashes between supporters of different candidates were reported from Bhojpur, Kaimur and Jehanabad. “The team of police officials stepped in to control the situation and booked trouble mongers. We are keeping vigil in the area,” said Gangwar.

A total of 134 candidates, including 12 women, were in the fray, for which voting was conducted on 16,634 polling booths. There were a total of 1.62 crore eligible voters in the eight constituencies, of which 85.01 lakh were men, 77.07 lakh women and 415 were third gender. A total of 73,348 police personnel and 20,780 homeguards were deployed to ensure free and fair polling.

Most exit polls have predicted significant gains for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Odisha, which has been the bastion of Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for over two decades. Pollsters have predicted that the BJP, which pulled off a surprise performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, is likely to double its tally.

Thirty-three poll personnel succumbed to heat-related conditions during the seventh phase poll for 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, Uttar Pradesh chief electoral officer Navdeep Rinwa said on Saturday.

The number included homeguards, sanitation workers and other poll staff, Rinwa said at a press conference after the conclusion of the final phase of voting.

A voter also died at a booth in Sikandarpur area of Ballia Lok Sabha constituency on Saturday, he said. The voter, Ram Badan Chauhan, who was standing at the polling booth, fell unconscious and was rushed to a health centre where doctors pronounced him brought dead, he said.

An incident of firing and stone pelting was reported during a clash between alleged workers of the RJD and the BJP at Masaurhi sub division in the rural Patna on Saturday evening. However, no one was injured in the incident. BJP MP and Lok Sabha candidate from Patliputra Ram Kripal Yadav claimed that the firing incident took place on him when he was returning from Tineri village. “I got an information that a woman legislator forcibly entered a booth. I immediately rushed to the spot and inquired about the incident. As soon as I returned from Pinjeri village after meeting with some supporters, a group of anti-socials attacked on my car. They pelted stones and started firing. One of my supporters tried to save me, the miscreants attacked him with pistol butt on his head causing injuries,” he added.

City SP (Central) Bharat Soni who reached the spot told reporters that police got information about attack on Ramkripal Yadav's vehicle on Patna-Jehanabad road. "A written complaint has been lodged by the Pataliputra MP against attackers. Police carried out raids against the attackers and no one will be spared in this case," said the City SP.

Uttar Pradesh recorded 55.60% voter turnout in the seventh and final phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha election in 13 constituencies of the Purvanchal region on Saturday, a decline of around 3% polling in comparison to the 2019 figure of 58.37% for the same seats.

After registering the lowest turnout of 54.03% in the sixth phase among all the phases in the state, the polling percentage increased in the final lap.

The key Lok Sabha constituencies, including Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Chandauli and Mirzapur, where the NDA and INDIA bloc had mobilized their cadres for a high voltage campaign, recorded a decline in voter turnout in comparison to the 2019 mark.

The India News- NewsX-D-Dynamics released its exit poll prediction for the Lok Sabha election 2024. As per the exit poll, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is slated to win as many as 315 seats of the 543 seats on its own, and 371 seats in alliance with its NDA partners.

The Congress, meanwhile will win as many as 60 seats, and 125 seats in alliance with the other INDI Alliance parties. Other parties that are not in alliance with the NDA or the INDI Alliance are expected to win 47 seats, it predicted.

It is pertinent to note that the INDIA bloc overall tally of 125 seats includes the three seats that might be won by the UDF in Kerala.