The voting for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 ends on June 1 with the final and seventh phase polling. The general elections began on April 19, followed by five other phases on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, and May 26. 

What are exit polls?

Exit polls try to predict election outcomes by interviewing voters right after they have cast their votes.

In India, such polls are prohibited during the voting process by the Election Commission. However, exit polls can be made public 30 minutes after the entire voting process ends.

This is to make sure that the polls don’t influence people while they are still voting, but also still allows for immediate analysis and discussion once the process is complete.

Warning: Exit polls do not always get it right. They have been way off the mark in the past. 

How are exit polls calculated? 

Exit polls are calculated using a combination of sampling methods and statistical analysis by various agencies. These include:

Sampling: Pollsters pick a bunch of voters from different areas to represent the whole population. They want to make sure they talk to people across demography.

Questioning: Selected voters are asked who they voted for and other basic questions, like their age and where they live.

Data Collection: The answers are collected and recorded. 

Weightage: The data is adjusted to make sure it is a fair representation. For example, if the pollsters didn’t talk to enough young people, they might give their answers more weight to balance things out.

Analysis: Experts look at all this data and analyse it to make predictions about the election results based on what the voters said.

Margin of Error: The exit polls also figure out how certain or uncertain their predictions are. 

Finally, these predictions are shared with the public. 

When are the 2024 exit polls due?

For the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, exit polls will be shown live on June 1 after the final voting phase ends. Voting for this phase will end at 6 pm on Saturday and the exit polls will start airing from 6:30 pm onwards. Tune in to NDTV for live updates on exit polls after 6:30 pm.

The votes will be counted on June 4.

New Delhi:

The Congress controlled the narrative during the Lok Sabha polls and placed a new vision for the country before the people, former party chief Rahul Gandhi said on Thursday, exuding confidence that the INDIA bloc will form the next government.

In his message to the people and Congress workers at the end of the campaign for the Lok Sabha polls, Mr Gandhi said, “We were successful in fighting the elections on real issues related to the people and despite the repeated attempts of the Prime Minister to mislead, we raised the voice of farmers, workers, youth, women and the deprived.”

“I bow before the great people of the country and confidently say to the workers of Congress that an INDIA bloc government is going to be formed,” he said in his video message in Hindi.

“Intellectuals and thought leaders had called for a debate between me and the PM but he could not do so,” Mr Gandhi said.

“And now the debate is not possible as the PM has gone on a “maun vrat”, he added.

आज प्रचार के आखिरी दिन मैं देश की महान जनता को प्रणाम करते हुए कांग्रेस के बब्बर शेर कार्यकर्ताओं से विश्वास के साथ कहना चाहता हूं कि INDIA की सरकार बनने जा रही है।

मैं गठबंधन के सभी नेताओं और कार्यकर्ताओं को दिल से धन्यवाद देता हूं जो देश के संविधान और संस्थाओं को बचाने के लिए… pic.twitter.com/YPHPsE12Tx

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 30, 2024

He thanked all the leaders and workers of the opposition alliance who stood without bowing down to “save” the Constitution and institutions of the country.

“Together, we presented revolutionary guarantees that will change the lives of every section in the form of an alternative vision to the country and took our message to every corner,” he said.

“We controlled the narrative during the Lok Sabha polls and placed a new vision for the country before the people,” Mr Gandhi said.

He appealed to the Congress workers to keep an eye on the polling booths and strong rooms till the last moment. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

There has been an increase of 104 per cent in the number of political parties contesting Lok Sabha elections from 2009 to 2024, according to an analysis by poll rights body ADR.

According to the analysis, 751 political parties are participating in 2024 as compared to 677 who participated in 2019, 464 in 2014, and 368 in 2009.

This surge represents a staggering 104% increase from 2009 to 2024.

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch have conducted a comprehensive analysis of the self-sworn affidavits of 8,337 candidates vying for seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha 2024 Elections.

Out of the total 8,360 contesting candidates, the breakdown reveals a diverse landscape of political representation: 1,333 from national parties, 532 from state parties, 2,580 from registered unrecognised parties and 3,915 independent candidates.

The analysis also sheds light on the prevalence of criminal cases among candidates.

Among national parties, 443 out of 1,333 candidates have declared criminal cases, with 295 facing serious criminal charges.

State parties exhibit a higher proportion, with 249 out of 532 candidates facing criminal cases and 169 facing serious charges.

Registered unrecognised parties show comparatively lower figures with 401 out of 2,580 candidates having criminal cases and 316 facing serious charges.

Independent candidates fall in between with 550 out of 3,915 candidates facing criminal cases and 411 facing serious charges.

Additionally, the analysis reveals financial assets of the candidates with 2,572 out of all 8,337 candidates being crorepatis or millionaires.

Among national parties, 906 out of 1,333 candidates are crorepatis, followed by 421 out of 532 in state parties, 572 out of 2,580 in registered unrecognised parties, and 673 out of 3,915 among independent candidates.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Paliganj (Bihar):

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday had a close shave when a portion of the dais set up for one of his election rallies in Bihar caved in.

Mr Gandhi was at Paliganj, on the outskirts of the state capital, to canvass for RJD president Lalu Prasad’s daughter Misa Bharti, who is contesting Patliputra Lok Sabha seat.

Ms Bharti was leading Mr Gandhi towards his seat when he was seen struggling for balance as a portion of the make-shift stage sagged.

Rahul Gandhi’s stage has crumbled in Patliputra where he has to address rally with RJD leaders

In last few years, this has turned out to be very lucky for parties. Example : Himachal Pradesh where Mukesh Agnihotri stage fell down and INC formed govt. pic.twitter.com/BOWanps4wd

— Amockxi FC (@Amockx2022) May 27, 2024

An alert Ms Bharti quickly held Mr Gandhi by the hand, helping him regain his balance and they smilingly told anxious security personnel, who ran to help, that the Congress leader was fine. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Former Union Minister and MP Jayant Sinha on Wednesday said that he was “surprised” to receive the BJP’s show cause notice asking him why he didn’t vote in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections and did not take part in election campaigning.

In response to BJP’s Jharkhand general secretary Aditya Sahu’s letter, Mr Sinha said that he voted through the postal ballot process as he was overseas for “personal commitments”. 

“I was very surprised to receive your letter and discover that you have released it to the media as well,” Mr Sinha, who is the sitting MP from the Hazaribagh seat in Jharkhand, said in a two-page letter to Mr Sahu.

Responding to Mr Sahu’s charge that he has not been taking part in “organisational work and election campaigning” ever since Manish Jaiswal was declared a candidate from the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha seat, Mr Sinha said that he was not invited for “any party events, rallies or organizational meetings”.

“The party announced Shri Manish Jaiswal ji as its candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. My endorsement was evident when I congratulated Shri Jaiswal ji on March 8, 2024, an event that was well-documented on social media and demonstrated my unwavering support for the party’s choice,” he said.

“If the part wanted me to participate in any election activities, you could surely have contacted me. However, not a single senior party official or MP/MLA from Jharkhand reached out to me. I was not invited to any party events, rallies, or organizational meetings,” he said.

My response to Shri Aditya Sahu ji’s letter sent on May 20, 2024 pic.twitter.com/WfGIIyTvdz

— Jayant Sinha (Modi Ka Parivar) (@jayantsinha) May 22, 2024

Jayant Sinha, who in March had announced that he wouldn’t contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, also said that he had requested BJP national president JP Nadda to relieve him from his “direct electoral duties”.

“I withdrew from the Lok Sabha elections on March 2. After consulting with Shri Nadda ji and getting his explicit approval, I made it clear publicly that I was not going to be involved in these elections. I am happy to support the party on economic and governance policies and have continued to do so,” the two-term MP told Mr Sahu.

Mr Sinha also said that on April 30, he received a call from Mr Jaiswal inviting him to his nomination rally on May 1, but he couldn’t attend “due to the late notice”

“I traveled to Hazaribagh on May 2 and went directly to Shri Jaiswal ji’s residence to express my regards. He was not present, so I conveyed my message to his family,” he said.

Mr Sinha, who has been associated with the BJP for over 25 years, also stated that his “development and organizational work in Hazaribagh have been appreciated widely”, that also reflected in his “record” victories in the 2014 and 2019 general elections.

“Given my contributions to the party and the circumstances detailed above, the public issuance of your letter is unseemly. Your approach demoralizes dedicated party workers and undermines the party’s collective efforts. Additionally, despite my loyalty and hard work for the party, it appears that I am being unjustly targeted,” he told Mr Sahu.

“We could have certainly spoken in person or on the phone at any time to address any of your misgivings. As the party official responsible for the Hazaribagh Lok Sabha elections, you could have reached me at any time. To send me a letter after the elections are over is incomprehensible,” he said.

New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday tweaked the BJP’s 2014 poll slogan to take a swipe at the Prime Minister, saying “Acche din aane waale hain, Modi ji jaane waale hain” as he exuded confidence that the INDIA bloc will emerge victorious in this Lok Sabha election.

The Aam Aadmi Party chief, who was accompanied by his wife Sunita Kejriwal for the first time in election meetings on Monday, praised her for taking command of the poll campaigning in his absence and described her as “Jhansi Ki Rani”.

“Today I have brought my wife also with me. She took charge of everything in my absence. When I was in jail, she used to come to meet me. I used to inquire about the well-being of my Delhiites through her and send my messages to you. She is like Jhansi ki Rani,” Mr Kejriwal said at a street corner meeting in East Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar constituency.

Sunita Kejriwal also addressed the people and appealed to them to vote for AAP so that her husband is “not sent to jail again”.

“It is because of your blessings that my husband is here with us today. God helps those who do the right thing. Now if you don’t want my husband to go back to jail, vote for AAP on May 25,” she said.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21 in a money-laundering case linked to the ‘liquor scam’ in Delhi. The top court has granted interim bail to the AAP leader till June 1, the last day of the seven-phase Lok Sabha election, and asked him to surrender and go back to jail on June 2.

Arvind Kejriwal again repeated his promise of full statehood for Delhi if elected to power.

“I am telling you on June 4, Modi ji’s government will not be formed. Everywhere people are angry with them (BJP) due to inflation and unemployment during their rule,” he claimed.

“People have made up their mind to oust them…On June 4, acche din aane waale hain, Modi ji jaane waale hain (good days are on their way, Modi is on his way out),” he claimed.

In 2014, Narendra Modi stormed to power on the popular slogan of ‘Acche din aane waale hain’ (good days are on their way).

At another poll meeting in Shahdara, Mr Kejriwal attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused him of using foul language for his political opponents including NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar.

“This is not a good thing. He (Sharad Pawar) is an 84-year-old person. Modi ji is 74 years old. One should respect elders,” he said.

Mr Kejriwal also addressed roadshows in Kondli, Trilokpuri and Jangpura assembly segments of the East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency in support of AAP candidate Kuldeep Kumar.

Mr Kejriwal appealed to the Congress supporters to vote for AAP in the constituencies where its candidates were in the fray while asking his party supporters to do the same for Congress candidates.

Polling for all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi is on May 25. The result will be declared for all on June 4.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live Updates:

Voters from 49 constituencies across six states and two Union Territories will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls today. 

Polling will be held for five parliamentary seats in Bihar, Jharkhand (3), Maharashtra (13), Odisha (5), Uttar Pradesh (14), West Bengal (7) and two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir (1) and Ladakh (1). 

Key candidates contesting in the fifth phase include Union Ministers Piyush Goyal (Mumbai North), Smriti Irani (Amethi), and Rajnath Singh (Lucknow).

From the Opposition, Congress’s Rahul Gandhi is defending his mother Sonia Gandhi’s bastion Raebareli, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah is fighting from Baramulla, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter Rohini Acharya is contesting from Saran, while Shiv Sena-UBT leader and Arvind Sawant is contesting from Mumbai South.

Here are LIVE updates on Lok Sabha Election Phase 5 voting:

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Lok Sabha Elections 5th Phase: Numbers Game

#ElectionsWithNDTV | Lok Sabha Elections 5th Phase: Voting Begins

◆ 49 seats up for grabs in Phase 5
◆ Key contests in Amethi, Raebareli
◆ Voting in Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir’s Baramulla today.
◆ The big fight is expected in the 7 seats of Bengal and the 13 seats of… pic.twitter.com/Q5hte3Gth6

– NDTV (@ndtv) May 20, 2024

Lok Sabha Elections 5th Phase: Mayawati Votes
Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and BSP chief Mayawati shows her inked finger after casting her vote for LokSabha Elections 2024 at a polling station in Lucknow.

#WATCH | Former Uttar Pradesh CM and BSP chief Mayawati shows her inked finger after casting her vote for #LokSabhaElections2024 at a polling station in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/ZmtmwJg8Yq

– ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2024

Lok Sabha Elections 5th Phase: Shiv Sena’s Yamini Jadhav Votes

Shiv Sena candidate from South Mumbai, Yamini Jadhav shows the indelible ink mark on her finger after casting her vote. 

#WATCH | Mumbai: Shiv Sena candidate from South Mumbai, Yamini Jadhav shows the indelible ink mark on her finger after casting her vote.

She faces a contest from Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and candidate Arvind Sawant. #LokSabhaElections2024pic.twitter.com/RCCmM5ZBFN

– ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2024

Lok Sabha Elections 5th Phase: Businessman Anil Ambani Votes In Mumbai

Industrialist Anil Ambani casts his vote at a polling booth in Mumbai, for the fifth phase of LokSabha Elections 2024

#WATCH | Industrialist Anil Ambani casts his vote at a polling booth in Mumbai, for the fifth phase of #LokSabhaElections2024pic.twitter.com/2CpXIZ6I0l

– ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2024

Lok Sabha Elections 5th Phase: Voting Begins

Voting for 49 constituencies across six states and two Union Territories begins. 

Lok Sabha Elections 5th Phase: PM Modi Urges Voters To Come Out In large Numbers

As 49 seats across 8 states and UTs go to the polls today in the 5th phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, urging all those whose constituencies are polling today to vote in record numbers. I specially call upon women voters and young voters to exercise their franchise.

– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 20, 2024