India’s Lok Sabha elections are no longer Indian affairs alone. They now generate global interests with the world’s leading media brands keeping a keen eye on them. Whether their analyses match the pulse of the country is completely open to interpretation, but they do devote ample airtime and space on print apart from the digital space.
The News18 Mega Exit Poll gave the BJP-led NDA between 355 and 370 seats while giving the INDI alliance between 125 and 140 seats and the Congress 62 to 72 seats. BJP itself was estimated to get 305 to 315 seats. The Dainik Bhaskar poll predicted that the NDA would get between 281 and 350 seats, and the INDI alliance will get between 145 and 201 seats. Others are said to get 33 to 49 seats as per the poll. The Jan Ki Baat exit poll gave NDA between 362 and 392 seats and the INDI alliance between 141 and 161 seats and others between 10 and 20 seats.The India News-D Dyanmics poll predicted that the NDA would expand its tally to 371 seats and the INDI Alliance would net 125 seats with others settled with 47 seats. The Republic Bharat-Matrize poll said the NDA would get between 353 and 368 seats and the INDI alliance would get around 118 to 133 seats. It estimated that rest of the parties would get 50 seats.
The official election results will be released on 4 June.
Here’s how a few of the leading global media houses commented on the exit polls that happened on Saturday after the last and seventh phase of voting was over. There are 543 seats in the Lok Sabha and the halfway mark is 272.
The New York Times
Often extremely critical of the Modi dispensation in India, The New York Times did accept that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is powerhouse in the Indian political arena. It said:
Mr. Modi, his power deeply entrenched, is seen as likely to win a third consecutive term as prime minister, which would make him only the second leader in India’s nearly 75 years as a republic to achieve that feat. Exit polls released after the last round of voting suggested a comfortable return for his Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or B.J.P.
The Washington Post picked up a piece from The Associated Press which repeated what the exit polls said.
Most exit polls project Modi is set to extend his decade in power with a third consecutive term, especially after he opened a Hindu temple in northern Ayodhya city in January, which fulfilled his party’s long-held Hindu nationalist pledge. During the polls Modi escalated polarizing rhetoric in incendiary speeches that targeted the country’s Muslim minority.
Another victory would cement Modi as one of the country’s most popular and important leaders. It would follow a thumping win in 2019, when the BJP clinched an absolute majority by sweeping 303 parliamentary seats. The Congress party managed only 52 seats.
AdvertisementThe Financial Times also reflected the spirit of the exit polls that more or less unanimously predicted a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi although they varied in seat numbers projection for the National Democratic Alliance of which the prime minister is part of. The newspaper said:
Narendra Modi is poised to secure a third five-year term as India’s prime minister this week after exit polls projected a clear election victory for his Bharatiya Janata party and its smaller allies.
The Japan Times took a Bloomberg piece which like the rest predicted a comeback for Prime Minister Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party is set to win a decisive majority in India’s election for the third time in a row, several exit polls showed, extending his decade in power atop the world’s fastest-growing major economy. The polls showed his Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will win substantially more seats than the 272 needed for a majority in India’s 543-seat lower house of parliament.
AdvertisementThe South China Morning Post took a Reuters piece covering the exit polls. It said:
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance is projected to win a big majority in the general election that concluded on Saturday, television exit polls said, suggesting it would do better than expected by most analysts. Most exit polls projected the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) could win a two-thirds majority in the 543-member lower house of parliament, where 272 is needed for a simple majority. A two-thirds majority will allow the government to usher in far-reaching amendments in the constitution.
In a piece published before the exit polls were aired, The Strait Times said that 4 June, which is the actual day of counting will be a huge credibility test for India’s myriad exit polls that are conducted after the voting ends. The piece said: This election – the largest in India’s history – will test the credibility of the highly competitive exit poll industry, which has grown rapidly, fuelled by tie-ups with media groups and breathless political discussions with TV pundits.
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