Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party is set to win a comfortable majority in India’s election for the third time in a row, several early exit polls showed, extending his decade in power atop the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
The polls showed his Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance will win well more than the 272 seats needed for a majority in India’s 543-seat lower house of parliament. More exit polls are set to be released throughout the evening on Saturday, and actual votes will be counted on June 4th.
Modi hailed the early exit poll results, saying it showed a victory for the BJP-led alliance. “I can say with confidence that the people of India have voted in record numbers to reelect the NDA government,” he said in a post on social media platform X. He said the BJP’s track record resonated with voters, especially among the poor, and criticized the opposition alliance’s campaign for failing to provide a vision for the country.
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While exit polls have a mixed track record in Indian elections, they correctly predicted the broad outlines of the result from the 2019 and 2014 general elections.
The polls were released after the last of India’s nearly 1 billion registered voters finished casting their ballots in a grueling six-week-long election that was spread over seven voting phases. It started on April 19.
The BJP’s strategy of centering its campaign around the hugely-popular Modi appears to have paid off if the exit polls are accurate. The party’s star campaigner, Modi criss-crossed the country holding roadshows and addressing large crowds. The party even titled its manifesto ‘Modi’s Guarantee.’
A win for Modi would be historic: no prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru — who ruled India for 17 years after independence — has managed to secure three consecutive terms in power.
The win also signals additional trouble for the country’s opposition, especially the Indian National Congress, the largest party in the opposition alliance. Failure to dent the BJP’s mandate for a third straight national election may fuel concerns the Congress party needs an ideological revamp or a change in leadership.
A bigger win for the ruling party positions it to potentially push through decisive new policy measures and further elevate Modi’s global stature. It would allow the BJP to make good on major campaign promises like increased infrastructure spending, investing in domestic manufacturing and the continuation of popular welfare programs. It would also provide it with the political capital to push through contentious reforms on land and labour. - Bloomberg