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

“...We are confident that Congress party will win 2/3rd of the seats in Karnataka...The people of this country want change...All the workers are confident and I do not think we are going to lose in Karnataka..,” Karnataka Deputy CM and state Congress president DK Shivakumar says, according to ANI.

Election Commission seeks factual information and details from Congress leader Jairam Ramesh for his public statement, which he posted on his social media handle, alleging calls made by the home minister to 150 DMs just days before the scheduled counting of votes.

The EC has sought his response by June 2 evening for further necessary action.

Union minister RK Singh on Sunday said that exit polls, which have predicted a big win for the BJP, have "shut the mouth of the so-called INDI alliance'. “We feel that we will get more seats than what is being shown in the exit polls and the INDI alliance has understood this,” he said.

AAP leader Somnath Bharti said that he will “shave his head off” if Modi becomes prime minister again.

“Whatever I saw during election campaigning and the way people voted against BJP in large numbers indicated that they will never form the government. Day after tomorrow, we will know the basis of exit polls, whether exit polls are pre-scripted or done under some type of pressure,” he added.

Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh said, “These exit polls are false. INDIA alliance is not going to get less than 295 seats. These exit polls are fake because PM Modi and Union HM Amit Shah are playing a psychological game. They are trying to put pressure on opposition parties, ECI, counting agents, returning officers and creating an environment that they are coming back but the reality is completely different.”

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday hit out at the exit poll results saying that they are “Modi media poll”.

“This is Modiji's fantasy poll. Have you heard Sidhu Moose Wala's song 295...(we will get) 295 (seats),” he told the media.

BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Sunday said that the INDIA alliance is on the “ventilator”.

“After the results, there will be an exit of arrogant and corrupt INDIA alliance from politics...Under the leadership of PM Modi, BJP is on the accelerator,” he added.

The Trinamool Congress on Saturday exuded confidence about performing well in the Lok Sabha elections, and claimed that the people of West Bengal have decisively given their mandate against the BJP.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Kolkata, senior TMC leader Shashi Panja claimed polling has been largely peaceful in the state, barring a few stray incidents.

Karnataka home minister and Congress leader G Parameshwara said that he does not believe in exit polls and asserted that the Congress will win over 17 seats in the state.

“I don't believe in exit polls, only selected media has given the exit polls. As per our survey in Karnataka, we will win over 17 seats and we will get double-figure results in Karnataka. Yesterday our President Mallikarjun Kharge said that we will get 295 + seats, it is people's survey, so we don't believe in the exit polls,” he said.

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said that the “basis of exit poll is DM, not EVM”.

“The administration should remember that there is no greater force than manpower,” he wrote on X.

Former Uttarakhand chief Harish Rawat alleged a “motive” behind exit polls to “give weight to BJP's narrative of '400 paar'.”

“This is a part of an orchestrated plan...We reject these kinds of attempts...There is no wave in support of BJP...The public is rooting for change...People are coming forward to protect democracy and constitution,” he said.

A day after exit polls predicted a thumping win for the NDA, BJP MP and candidate from Patna Sahib constituency, Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at the Congress saying that the grand old party performed poorly because they have not “stopped daydreaming”.

“They should work on the ground and win the confidence of the public…PM Modi worries about the poor, farmers…PM Modi is developing and securing the nation,” he said.

BJP Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya took a dig at the Congress rejecting the exit polls, saying that it will be clear on June 4 whether the exit polls came from the public or BJP office.

“Opposition leaders have become nervous after seeing the exit polls,” he told the media.

PM Modi is set to hold a lengthy brainstorming session on Sunday to discuss the agenda for the government's 100-day program as pollsters have predicted a third successive term for Prime Minister Modi. HT Digital was the first to report this. This strategic meeting, expected to be an extensive and intensive discussion, will outline the Modi government's priorities and action plans for the coming months. Read more here

According to the state election chief, at least 33 polling staff died due to heatstroke on June 1, the last voting day of the Lok Sabha election, reports AFP.

"These exit poll predictions are a corporate game. You give them money, and they will release figures in your favour. INDIA alliance will form government by securing 295-310 seats," says Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh rejected the exit polls, saying that the INDIA bloc will win at least 295 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.

“The outgoing PM, the person who will have to leave for sure on June 4 has conspired all these things and have managed the exit polls. There will be a huge difference in exit polls and results of June 4. INDIA alliance had a meeting yesterday, we did detail discussions on numbers, it's impossible that INDIA alliance will get anything below 295,” he told ANI.

Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy expressed confidence that the Congress will win at least 10 of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state and that the INDIA bloc would form a government at the Centre.

The much-awaited exit poll predictions were released on Saturday, showing a thumping win for the NDA. Exit poll predictions are never to be blindly relied on as there is always room for mistakes. Instances where exit polls went awry in the recent past are not scarce either. However, in 2019 and 2014, the exit poll predictions did not miss the mood of the nation.

In 2019, the exit polls on average predicted NDA's tally at 306 and UPA's at 120. The prediction was underwhelming when the actual results came as the NDA won 352 seats with the BJP at 303. The then-UPA got 93 seats with the Congress at 52.

2014 marked the landslide victory of the BJP-led NDA which many exit polls failed to gauge though they anticipated that the NDA was coming to power. They only missed the huge margin the NDA was going to make. An average of eight exit polls predicted 283 seats for the NDA and 105 seats for the UPA. The NDA for 336 seats with the BJP at 282; the UPA got 60 with Congress 44.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Saturday called the exit polls "orchestrated", saying that the outgoing PM Modi can remain "smug" for three days adding that the INDIA bloc will win 295 seats.

"The man whose exit is certain on June 4th has had these exit polls orchestrated. The INDIA Janbandhan will definitely get a minimum of 295 seats, which is a clear and decisive majority. The outgoing Prime Minister can remain smug for three days in the meanwhile. These are all psychological games he is masterminding but the ACTUAL results will be very different," Jairam Ramesh posted on X.

After a back-breaking election campaign in torrid heat, 45-hour meditation at Vivekananda Memorial and across the board exit polls predicting a massive mandate for his third term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns back to work on Sunday by holding a review meeting with PMO officials. Before embarking on his mega election campaign, PM Modi had told the top bureaucracy that their homework for the interregnum vacation was to prepare for decisions to be taken in the first 100 days of Modi 3.0. Read more here

The seventh and the final phase of polling for Lok Sabha elections, held on June 1 across seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, saw an approximate voter turnout of 62.36 per cent. According to the Election Commission, West Bengal is leading the voter turnout charts at 73.79 per cent.

Maharashtra Congress leader Nana Patole negated the exit poll predictions for the state and said that the party is not relying on exit polls, adding that the INDI alliance will get more than 300 seats.

The Election Commission of India has issued a set of instructions for all poll officials on the procedure to be followed for counting of votes from Electronic Voting Machines, VVPATs and Postal Ballots for the Lok Sabha elections as well as bye-election to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.

According to the general instructions issued by the poll body, the District Election Officers, Returning Officers (RO) and Observers shall ensure that the existing instructions related to counting arrangements in and around counting centres have been fully complied with before the counting of votes at the hour fixed for the purpose.

A day after voting concluded for the Lok Sabha polls and the exit polls predicted, yet another victory for the NDA, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is slated to join a virtual meeting with all candidates from his party along with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday morning.

According to reports, after the meeting at 11 am, Kharge and Gandhi will be holding a separate virtual meeting with prominent Congress leaders from across the country at 1 pm.