NEW DELHI: When Narendra Modi launched his campaign with the slogan “Ab ki baar, 400 paar,” he aimed for more than 400 seats for his BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The most optimistic exit polls even predicted a clear 400 seats for the alliance.
However, early trends indicate a much tighter contest with the Congress-led INDIA alliance, a center-left coalition.
Speculation is already rife about whether the BJP alone will reach the 272 seats needed for a majority in the 543-seat parliament.
The lead between the two coalitions appears narrower than expected, with early trends showing a difference of only 60 to 70 seats.
Currently, the BJP-led alliance is leading in just under 300 seats, while opposition parties are ahead in about 200 seats.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is eyeing a rare third consecutive term for himself and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Early results show the Congress party, along with other opposition parties, performing better than expected.
A party or alliance needs to win more than 272 seats in the 543-member parliament to form the government.
This election, the world’s largest, was held in seven phases over six weeks with almost a billion registered voters.
More than two dozen opposition parties have united to challenge Modi and the BJP, hoping to prove the exit polls wrong.
BBC
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