New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s coalition is leading in a majority of seats in India’s general election, according to early figures, but faces a stronger-than-expected challenge from the opposition.
After 44 days of voting across seven phases, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is counting more than 600 million votes cast by Indians to choose their next national government.
The vote count began at 8 a.m. local time (02:30 GMT), and the final results should be clear later on June 4. At stake are 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India’s parliament.
Early leads suggest a much closer contest than exit polls had predicted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was projected to emerge as the single largest party but may fall short of securing a majority on its own. However, the alliance it leads is still expected to cross the halfway mark of 272 seats.
Meanwhile, the opposition INDIA alliance, led by the Congress party, is performing better than exit polls had projected.
Modi’s BJP, a dominant force in Indian politics for a decade, was expected to maintain its grip. But Tuesday’s trends have surprised the party, forcing it to rely on allies to form a government.
Analysts attribute this to rising prices, joblessness, a controversial army recruitment reform, and Mr. Modi’s aggressive and divisive campaign, which may have alienated voters in parts of the country.
These concerns were evident in credible pre-poll surveys. Modi’s ambitious slogan “Ab ki baar, 400 paar,” aiming for over 400 seats for his NDA alliance, may also have backfired, raising fears of constitutional changes with such a massive majority.
The unexpected resurgence of the Congress party, nearly doubling its 2019 tally and leading in at least 97 seats, underscores this shift.
– Dr. Shahid Siddiqui; Follow via X @shahidsiddiqui
