Today marks the end of the seven-phase general elections in India. The final phase involves voting for 57 Lok Sabha seats across 8 states, with 10.06 crore voters exercising their right. Key states include Uttar Pradesh (13 seats), Bihar (8 seats), West Bengal (9 seats), Odisha (6 seats), Jharkhand (3 seats), Punjab (13 seats), and Himachal Pradesh (4 seats).
Prominent candidates include Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi, Apna Dal (S) leader and Union Minister Anupriya Patel from Mirzapur, and BJP MP Ravi Kishan from Gorakhpur, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s hometown.
Modi, who has won twice from Varanasi, faces tough competition from Congress candidate Ajay Rai. The Congress, which won 8 out of 13 seats in Punjab last time, aims for more this election despite strong competition from AAP. In Bihar, key constituencies like Patna, Nalanda, Pataliputra, and Arrah have Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and RK Singh in the fray. The BJP, which won all four seats in Himachal Pradesh in the last two elections, is eyeing a hat-trick.
Eager Anticipation for Evening
With elections concluding today, everyone from the common man to political leaders is eagerly waiting for the evening. Polling ends at 6 PM, and exit poll results will be released at 6:30 PM. These results will give an initial sense of voter sentiment and hint at which party might come to power. Andhra Pradesh is particularly in focus, with debates on whether there will be a change in power.
Will Exit Polls Be Accurate?
While exit polls are not always accurate, they are eagerly awaited. In 2004, exit polls predicted 240-250 seats for BJP, but Congress came to power. In 2015, no one predicted AAP's sweeping victory in Delhi. In 2017, exit polls predicted a hung assembly in UP, but BJP won decisively. Yet, exit polls have often been close to actual results. It remains to be seen what this year's exit polls reveal!
