Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will retain power for a third consecutive term and most likely come back with a bigger mandate, according to seven exit polls unveiled on Saturday, June 1. India Today My Axis, ABP- C Voter, India News D-Dynamics, Republic Bharat-Matrize, Jan Ki Baat and Republic TV-P Marq exit polls said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would get more than 350 seats and emerge victorious. 

India Today-Axis My India has predicted 306-401 seats for the NDA and 131-166 seats for the INDIA bloc. Other political parties have been expected to get under 20 seats.

The ABP-C Voter exit polls said NDA would get 368 seats, bettering their tally of 352 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, of which 315 would be won by the BJP. It has predicted that the INDIA bloc will get 167 seats, of which Congress will win 74 seats. The poll has predicted a vote share of 39.9% for the INDIA bloc while giving 45.3% for the NDA. In 2019, the C-voter exit polls predicted that the NDA would fall short of the majority mark and would get 233 seats, and the UPA, which included Congress, would win 167 seats. 

According to India News D-Dynamics, NDA will win 371 seats, while the INDIA bloc will win 125 and others will get 47. Republic Bharat-Matrize exit polls predicted NDA to win seats in the range of 353-368, INDIA bloc to win 113-133 and others to win 43-48.  

Jan Ki Baat has predicted 362-392 seats for the NDA and 141-161 seats for the INDIA bloc. It said others could win 10-20 seats. According to Republic TV-P Marq, NDA will win 359 seats, the INDIA bloc is predicted to win 154 seats and others to get 30 seats.

Speaking to India Today after their Axis My-India exit poll, which gave BJP the edge, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera recalled the 2004 exit polls where the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government was expected to retain power, but it was the Congress who won on results day.

“Congress went into depression, but we were also surprised on the result day. Similarly, we will get the mandate on June 4,” he added. 

In 2004, exit polls predicted a comfortable majority for the NDA with 240 to 275 seats after Vajpayee called for early elections. However, the NDA could only manage 187 seats, while the Congress and its allies won 216 seats. 

The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 commenced on April 19 and concluded on June 1. The Lok Sabha elections were held in seven phases across the country, similar to previous Lok Sabha elections. Out of the 543 Parliamentary seats, at present, BJP has the absolute majority with 290 seats, Congress with 48 seats, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) with 24 seats, and the Trinamool Congress and YSR Congress party with 22 seats each. Of the 352 seats NDA won in 2019, BJP secured 303 seats. 

The Congress fought the elections joining hands with around 25 political parties. The INDIA bloc was formed in 2023 with major political parties like DMK, Samajwadi Party (SP), Shiv Sena (Uddhav’s faction), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) and others. The results for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 will be announced on June 4.