India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears poised for an uncommon third consecutive term, as exit polls on Saturday indicated his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance is likely to achieve a parliamentary majority.
According to an exit poll summary by NDTV, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is projected to win approximately 365 out of the 543 seats in the lower house of parliament. A minimum of 272 seats is required to form a government. While final results, expected on Tuesday, may differ from exit poll predictions, the projections suggest a strong lead for the NDA.
If these exit polls, which have an inconsistent track record, are accurate, Modi will continue as the country’s prime minister for another five years, a role he has held since 2014.
India’s election, the largest democratic exercise in the world with nearly a billion eligible voters, took place in seven phases over the past six weeks, beginning on April 19. The party or coalition that secures at least 272 seats out of the 543 contested in the lower house will form the government.
