Will BJP Make a Breakthrough in Kerala?
The final phase of voting for India's 18th Lok Sabha election has concluded, and exit polls have begun to surface. According to NDTV, most exit polls suggest that for the first time, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) may win seats in the southern state of Kerala.
Since independence, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has never held power in the Kerala State Assembly. The people of this southern state have traditionally supported the Left and Congress parties.
In the last Lok Sabha election, the BJP did not win any of Kerala's 20 seats. Similarly, in the 2021 state assembly elections, the BJP failed to secure any of the 140 seats. However, this scenario might change this time.
According to most exit polls, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is expected to perform strongly in Kerala in this Lok Sabha election. Meanwhile, the BJP is predicted to finally win some seats in the state.
ABP News-C Voter suggests that the UDF may win 17 to 19 seats in Kerala, while the NDA could win 1 to 3 seats. According to ABP's exit poll, the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) may not win any seats this time.
India News-D Dainik indicates that the UDF might win 14 seats, the LDF 4 seats, and the NDA 2 seats in Kerala.
The India Today-Axis My India exit poll predicts that the UDF could secure 17-18 seats, the NDA 2-3 seats, and the LDF 1 seat in Kerala.
Prime Minister Modi had set a target of crossing 400 seats in this Lok Sabha election. However, exit polls suggest that the BJP might not achieve this target. On the other hand, the Congress-led India alliance had set a goal of 285 seats, but the opposition coalition appears to be falling significantly short of this target.
According to NDTV, at least six exit polls indicate that the NDA might win 367 seats, while the India bloc could secure 143 seats. The BJP alone is expected to win 327 seats, compared to Congress's 52 seats.
John Ki Baat's exit poll suggests that the NDA could win between 362 and 392 seats, while the opposition coalition might secure between 141 and 161 seats. News-D Dynamics forecasts that the NDA will win 371 seats, while the India bloc will get 125 seats.
The Dainik Bhaskar exit poll predicts that the NDA will win between 281 and 350 seats, while the India alliance will secure between 145 and 201 seats. However, exit polls are merely estimates and are not always accurate.
All the exit polls indicate that the NDA has performed well in South India and Bengal. In Andhra Pradesh, the alliance with Chandrababu Naidu is expected to help the NDA win 18 out of the state's 25 seats.
The Lok Sabha election in India began on April 19 and concluded on Saturday, June 1. The country's Election Commission will officially announce the results on Tuesday, June 4.
