As the clock strikes midmorning in India, the Election Commission has wasted no time in sharing preliminary results online as votes are being counted nationwide. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has taken an early lead in the count.
Initial reports indicate that the BJP is favored to emerge victorious in this election. However, the race appears to be more competitive than what was predicted by pollsters and exit polls. The main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, is currently leading in 100 seats, a significant improvement from their performance in the 2019 elections.
Experts are quick to remind that the vote counting process is still in its early stages, and the dynamics could shift as the day progresses. Despite this, the early trends have already defied expectations set by recent exit polls.
Exit polls released prior to the election had a significant impact on the Indian stock markets, driving record gains on Monday. The unexpected progress made by the Congress party has caught many by surprise, highlighting the limitations of relying solely on exit poll predictions.
In order to secure victory, a party or coalition must attain a minimum of 272 parliamentary seats out of the total 543. Prime Minister Modi has set his sights on a supermajority of 400 seats, with 370 directly controlled by the BJP and the remainder from its National Democratic Alliance.
