New Delhi:

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in a swipe at Rahul Gandhi after the exit polls indicated a massive NDA victory “advised” the Congress leader to start preparing for the general elections in 2029 and 2034.

Mr Puri said Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s “self-certification” of giving 295 seats to the Opposition bloc INDIA will evaporate when the results come out.

“If he thinks INDIA alliance is getting 295, give him another 48 hours to indulge in a little more illusion, self belief, and then he will discover on the 4th that he was living in a make believe world,” Mr Singh told NDTV in an interview today.

He said all the exit polls are pointing at only one direction. Citing from experience in 2014 and 2019, he said he is confident the BJP will by itself get over 340 seats.

“I think we are even close to 350-plus by ourselves. Mallikarjun Kharge, on the other hand, is just throwing around drawing-room conversation… They have also collapsed. Aam Aadmi Party has been wiped out in Delhi. In Punjab, they are almost wiped out. Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, look at what the exit polls are saying,” Mr Singh said.

On Rahul Gandhi, Mr Singh said, “He is still young. He has 2029 and 2034 to look forward to.”

After a marathon Lok Sabha elections 2024 – spread over six weeks, the second-longest general election since 1951-52 – a big win for the ruling BJP-led NDA has been predicted by twelve exit polls – India Today- Axis My India (361-401), News 24-Today’s Chanakya (400), ABP News-C Voter (353-383), Republic Bharat- P Marq (359), India News- D-Dyanamics (371), Republic Bharat- Matrize (353-368), Dainik Bhaskar (281-350), News Nation (342-378), TV 9 Bharatvarsh- Polstrat (342), Times Now-ETG (358), India TV- CNX (362-392) and Jan Ki Baat (362-392).

The exit polls have also predicted NDA dominance in Karnataka and Maharashtra and Left-led alliance’s rout in Kerala. In Bengal, the exit polls predicted a better performance for the BJP than it did the last time (22). Most exit polls have said that the BJP will now be the single-largest party in Bengal in terms of Lok Sabha seats.