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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Kamala Harris is surging ahead of Trump in national and swing state polls.</li><li>Harris's campaign has energized voters, reversing Biden's previous deficits in key states.</li></ul>A slew of new voter polls are revealing one key trend: the race for the White House has shifted in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris'</a> favor.Since <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-endorses-kamala-harris-after-dropping-out-2024-7">Harris replaced President Joe Biden</a> at the top of the Democratic ticket less than four weeks ago, Harris's campaign has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-memes-media-strategy-gen-z-unburdened-coconut-2024-7">injected a surge of youthful energy and excitement</a> into weary voters and a once-struggling Democratic party. And that momentum has helped Harris rise ahead of Trump in national polls and even inch ahead of Trump in crucial swing states.In almost all battleground states, Harris has gained a narrow lead over Trump, a new <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/survey-research/2024-swing-state-project/fight-redefine-2024-race-president">poll from the Cook Political Report Swing State Project</a> found. The poll, released Wednesday, shows Harris with an overall 2-point lead over Trump in a horserace including third party candidates across the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. And in a head-to-head matchup across those states, Harris had an overall 1-point lead over her Republican opponent.While that lead is still slim, it shows how much ground Harris has gained since Biden was in her place. In May, the same survey found that Trump had an overall swing state lead of 5 points over Biden in a horserace matchup, and in a head-to-head matchup, an overall lead of 3 points.In each battleground state, according to the Cook survey, Harris has between a 2-point and 5-point lead over Trump in a horserace matchup, with Georgia being the only state where the two are tied. In May, Trump was leading across the board, except in Wisconsin where he was tied with Biden.Polling across the board has shown movement toward Harris.The latest <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/10/us/politics/harris-trump-battleground-polls.html">New York Times/Siena College </a>polls also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-leads-trump-michigan-pennsylvania-wisconsin-swing-state-polls-2024-8">show Harris leading the former president</a> by a four-point margin in the critical swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. When Biden was in her place, an earlier version of the poll found he only had a small lead in Wisconsin and trailed behind Trump in both Michigan and Pennsylvania.And even in Florida — which was once considered a swing state but has become more solidly red in recent years — Harris has narrowed Trump's lead. In a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.faupolling.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Mainstreet_FL_August_2024_Public.pdf">Florida Atlantic University poll</a> released Wednesday, Trump has a 3-point edge over Harris among likely Florida voters, which is half the lead he had over Biden when the poll was conducted in June.And it's not just swing state polls where Harris is gaining ground.<div type="image" title="Vice President Kamala Harris waves to supporters at a campaign rally in Las Vegas." height="579" width="1024" msid="112550520" hostid="261" sizebytes="134662"></div>In an average of 14 national polls, Harris has edged ahead of Trump by 2.7 points, according to an analysis by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/2024/national/">FiveThirtyEight</a>. It's a big jump from the days after Biden exited the race, when Harris only had a 0.8-point average national lead over Trump, FiveThirtyEight found.In one national poll, conducted by <a target="_blank" href="https://maristpoll.marist.edu/polls/the-2024-presidential-contest-august-2024">NPR/PBS News/Marist poll</a> and released last week, Harris crept up to a 3-point advantage over Trump in both a horserace and head-to-head matchup. That's four points up for Harris since the same poll was conducted shortly after she replaced Biden in the race, when Trump had a one-point advantage over her.And it's Black voters, white women with college degrees, and independent women voters who are propelling Harris ahead, the NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found. Her favor with these groups has increased 20 to 30 points since she first took over the Democratic ticket, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.npr.org/2024/08/06/g-s1-15701/election-poll-harris-trump">NPR reported</a>.Across the board, Harris is doing better than Biden was before he dropped out of the race. In an average of national state-level polling, Harris is doing 7.2 points better when matched up against Trump compared to Biden, according to an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.natesilver.net/p/where-harris-has-improved-the-most">analysis by statistician Nate Silver</a>.All the excitement around Harris's fresh campaign has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-furious-campaign-start-all-over-post-biden-kamala-harris-2024-7">infuriated Trump</a> and led <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-team-harris-poll-surge-campaign-2024-7">Republicans to argue that it's just a honeymoon</a> phase.Meanwhile, Harris will hope that her surge in polling isn't temporary — and that she can ride the wave of momentum through a shortened campaign season and into the White House.

The polls have shifted in Kamala Harris' favor

New Delhi [India], June 4 (ANI): With counting progressing in <keyword id="19912155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-polls" source="keywords">Lok Sabha polls</keyword>, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led <keyword id="20344628" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Democratic-Alliance" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="National Democratic Alliance" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="National Democratic Alliance">National Democratic Alliance</keyword> is leading on more than 100 seats as per the latest trends according to TV channels. Around 642 million people voted in Lok Sabha elections held over seven phases in a mammoth six-week period. The counting of votes began starting with postal ballot papers amid tight security. The counting for State Legislative Assemblies of 175 Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and 147 Assembly constituencies in Odisha and results of bypolls in 25 Assembly constituencies also began. The Lok Sabha elections for 543 seats of the lower house were held across seven phases. The <keyword id="19931558" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharatiya-Janata-Party" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bharatiya Janata Party" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bharatiya Janata Party">Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword> is eyeing a third straight term in power, while the Opposition under the umbrella of the <keyword id="19895684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="INDIA-bloc" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="INDIA bloc" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="INDIA bloc">INDIA bloc</keyword> is seeking to wrest power from the ruling party.Most exit polls predicted a straight term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with quite few of them projecting a two-thirds majority for the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (<keyword id="41281" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NDA" source="Orion">NDA</keyword>). The Congress party and its allies dismissed the exit polls as "orchestrated" and a work of "fantasy", asserting that the opposition INDIA bloc will form the next government at the Centre. Strict security has been put in place for the smooth conduct of counting of votes for over 8,000 candidates in this general election. With counting began for the Lok Sabha elections, which have seen the largest voter participation, the electoral fate of several leaders across the political spectrum will be decided. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are among the senior BJP leaders in the fray. Key opposition leaders, including former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, NCP's Supriya Sule, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, are also contesting the poll. Two polls predicted the BJP would also improve its numbers from the 303 seats it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In the 2019 elections, NDA wrested 353 seats, of which the BJP won 303 alone. The Opposition's UPA got only 93 seats of which the Congress got 52. Even before the counting of the votes, the Bharatiya Janata Party won one seat of Surat Lok Sabha. Earlier on April 22, Mukesh Dalal won the election "unopposed". Congress nominee Nilesh Kumbhani's nomination was rejected. His candidacy was rejected because of alleged discrepancies in the signatures of the proposers.

Lok Sabha election results: BJP-led NDA leading in 100 plus seats in early trends

The votes are in, the election commission is armed, and tallies are finally being made. As lakhs of viewers tune into their news to update themselves, many are coming away shocked at the current standings. Despite confident promises of capturing 400 of the 543 Indian seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (<keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords">BJP</keyword>) has barely won a dozen or two seats more than the halfway mark of 272, as per the initial few rounds of counting. This is still an impressive position to be in, and certainly enough to help the BJP-led <keyword id="105903" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="national-democratic-alliance" source="Orion">National Democratic Alliance</keyword> (<keyword id="19938590" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NDA" source="keywords">NDA</keyword>) make another term. However, the overwhelming, yet lukewarm, support has inadvertently deflated the ‘Abki baar 400 paar’ chant echoed by the party throughout its campaigning. Further, this comes mere days after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called the slogan the ‘common man’s mantra’. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Exit polls gone wrong" comment="subhead" text="Exit polls gone wrong"><keyword id="21129157" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exit-polls" source="keywords">Exit polls</keyword> gone wrong</cmsannotation> Party conjecture aside, most exit polls had also predicted a landslide victory for the NDA, with some even predicting the party crossing the 400 marks, helping the alliance comfortably bring in a third term for current Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword>. However, Congress leaders staunchly dismissed these findings, asserting that the <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">INDIA</keyword> alliance will achieve at least over 250 seats this election. While exit polls have exercised a notoriously patchy reputation for delivering inaccurate findings in the past, the surveys might have gotten it wrong far more than usual this time around. For instance, the BJP has been predicted to win 400 seats by News 24-Today’s Chanakya poll, 358 as per Times Now-ETG, 392 per India V-CNX. <table class="redcator-table-advance" style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6em; box-shadow: none; width: 955.049px; font-family: Merriweather; padding-bottom: 10px !important; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;"> </td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">NDA</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">INDIA</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">Others</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">Times Now - ETG </td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">358</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">152</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">33</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">Matrize - Republic</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">361</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">126</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">56</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">Jan Ki Baat - NDTV </td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">377</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">151</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">15</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">PMARQ - Republic</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">359</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">154</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">30</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">India News - D-Dynamics</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">371</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">125</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">47</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">Today's Chanakya - News24</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">400</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">107</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">36</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">India TV</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">386</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">124</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">33</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">Poll of polls</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">369</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">143</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">31</td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> However, the Modi-led alliance has yet to cross the 300 mark. If this trend holds, a majority government will form with BJP-led NDA acquiring slightly below 300 seats, almost mirroring exact forecasts by on-ground reporters and some political experts. However, this is quite in contrast with almost all exit polls this election season. If the scorecard settles at the current mark, this will end up becoming the poorest performance for NDA since their historic win in 2014. The alliance came to power after winning an overwhelming 336 seats in 2014, and 353 seats in 2019. However, the main point of shock has come from the performance of Congress and the INDIA bloc, who have maintained a steadfast 200+ seats since the initial polling rounds. Out of the nine odd exit polls that came out with results recently, none had predicted the INDIA bloc to win over 150-170 seats. As the tallying moves into its final phases, let’s look at how exit polls performed in the previous election cycles. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="2014 elections" comment="subhead" text="2014 elections">2014 elections</cmsannotation> In 2014, 834 million voters participated in the largest-ever elections worldwide — only to be surpassed by the 2019 <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections. An average of eight exit polls had indicated that the BJP would see a 283-seat victory, while the opposition would have had to settle for 105 seats. Just as predicted, the BJP saw a landslide victory and swooped in 282 of the 543 seats, with a vote percentage of 31.3%. This win was a huge blow to the INC, which only won 44 seats compared to the 206 in 2009. Since a party must win at least 55 seats to become an official opposition party in India, the Congress’s defeat meant that there was no official opposition party for India. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="2019 elections" comment="subhead" text="2019 elections">2019 elections</cmsannotation> The previous Lok Sabha elections turned out to be an even bigger win for the BJP! In 2019, exit polls had predicted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance would peak at 306 and that the INC-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) would win just 120. However, the post-poll statistics turned out to be underwhelming. The BJP won a whopping 37.36% of the vote — the highest by a political party since the 1989 general elections. It won 303 seats, while the NDA collectively won 352 seats. It was another crushing defeat for the Congress, which won just 52 seats, failing to claim the post of Leader of the Opposition once again.

Trends indicate INDIA maintaining 200+ seats, defying all exit poll predictions; how accurate have these surveys been since 2014?

New Delhi [India], June 4 (ANI): The mammoth exercise to count votes polled for the Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 elections will begin at 8 am on Tuesday, with trends and results following shortly thereafter. Results of the <keyword id="6372146" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Assembly-elections" source="Orion">Assembly elections</keyword> in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh were held simultaneously with voting for the 543-member Lok Sabha. Results of 175 Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and 147 Assembly constituencies in Odisha and results of bypolls in 25 Assembly constituencies will also be declared today. Here're the LIVE results: <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Infographic"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> Strict security has been put in place for the smooth conduct of counting of votes for over 8,000 candidates in this general elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will seek a third consecutive term in government, while the Congress-led opposition aims to unseat them. Most <keyword id="43771" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exit-polls" source="Orion">exit polls</keyword> have predicted a return of PM Modi to power, a development which will make him the first Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to secure a third successive term in power, Meanwhile, a delegation of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc leaders met with the Election Commission of India urging it to ensure that postal ballots are counted and their results declared before the outcome of the EVMs is announced. Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had said that a "very robust system" has been put in place. "There are around 10.5 lakh booths. Each booth will have 14 tables. There are observers and micro-observers. Nearly, 70-80 lakh people are involved in the process," he said. The national capital is all set to witness the battle. With tight security arrangements in place, Delhi is well-prepared to watch the results of the 2024 <keyword id="19923279" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-Elections" source="keywords">Lok Sabha elections</keyword>. Around 70 companies of the security forces will be deployed at all seven counting centres across the national capital as part of the elaborate security arrangements made by the Delhi Police for today. Delhi traffic police issued a fresh advisory ahead of the counting of votes scheduled for Tuesday, listing key roads where traffic restrictions and diversions will start from 5 am onwards to ensure smooth vehicular movement. Prime Minister Modi's hometown, Gujarat, is also preparing for the vote-counting day as security forces rehearse and perform drills for the effortless conduct of D-day. Exit polls have predicted the return of the BJP to power. Various exit polls have given the BJP more than 64 seats in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is poised for a hat-trick win in Lok Sabha polls with a massive majority. Exit polls were predicted on Saturday and indicated that the ruling party at the Centre would improve its performance in several states ruled by other parties. A few exit polls predicted that the BJP-led NDA could reach the goal of "400 paar" stated by BJP leaders in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. The exit polls predicted that the ruling BJP-led NDA is poised to improve its performance over its 2019 record when it won 352 seats. Two polls predicted the BJP would also improve its numbers from the 303 seats it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In the 2019 elections, NDA wrested 353 seats, of which the BJP won 303 alone. The Opposition's UPA got only 93 seats of which the Congress got 52. The Lok Sabha elections were conducted in seven phases- on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting trends and results, as per data entered by RO/ARO for AC/PC will be available on the ECI website as well as on the Voter Helpline App, both iOS and Android Mobile Apps, according to the ECI. The Voter Helpline App can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple Play Store. Users can use the available filter to find out the winning/leading or trailing candidate details, along with the constituency-wise or State-wise results from the Voter Helpline App. The local display of the trends and results by the CEOs/ROs/DEOs may also be done through the Digital Display Panels, it said.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 results: Mammoth vote-counting exercise set to begin at 8 am, amid high security

The counting of votes cast by 64.2 crore hopeful Indian voters during the six-week-long 18th <keyword id="19923279" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-elections" source="keywords">Lok Sabha elections</keyword> officially began at 8 AM today and it is suffice to say that the air is crackling with equal parts excitement and trepidation. Over 700 aspiring parties participated in the world’s largest democratic exercise. But the main duelling parties remain consistent with previous trends: the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (<keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords">BJP</keyword>) led by Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword> and the opposition bloc led by the <keyword id="19964138" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-National-Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Indian National Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Indian National Congress">Indian National Congress</keyword> (INC). Modi is shooting for a third, historic win after spending the last ten years in office, but the road ahead does not seem as smooth as anticipated. A political party in India requires at least 272 seats to cross the majority mark in the 543-member lower house of the Indian parliament, the Lok Sabha. The PM has audaciously declared that he is expecting a huge win exceeding 400 seats, the slogan ab ki baar 400 paar is stuck in every Indian’s head — irrespective of their political inclination. The Congress-led India bloc, on the other hand, is aiming for a relatively modest 295. On Saturday, most exit poll surveys predicted 350-370 seats for the BJP and between 107-140 seats for the opposition. However, the early trends are showing a very different picture with the INDIA bloc exceeding expectations in many states. Polls have been off the mark a few times before, but as NDA looks poised to win a third term, albeit with a few last-minute struggles, here’s a look back at the previous elections responsible for Mr Narendra Modi’s unmatchable dominance over <keyword id="20184421" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-politics" source="keywords">Indian politics</keyword>. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Inside BJP’s decade-long winning streak" comment="subhead" text="Inside BJP’s decade-long winning streak">Inside BJP’s decade-long winning streak </cmsannotation>The BJP has come a long way since 1984 when the party won just two seats. Its pro-Hindutva stance pushed it to prominence over the decades, especially in the 1990s. The BJP was in power for a considerable amount of time under Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s leadership at the turn of the century. But the kind of support that Narendra Modi has received since 2014 has been unmatched in the history of modern Indian politics. In 2014, the BJP saw a surprising landslide victory with 282 of the 543 seats. But what factors contributed to its sweeping win with a 31.3% majority? Throughout its campaigning ahead of the general elections that year, the BJP kept stressing its interest in fixing the economy and combating corruption allegedly caused by the Congress party’s rather inept governing. Modi, who called himself a chowkidar or watchman, vowed to set the government and bureaucracy to rights. He promised more jobs for young Indians and even launched a social media campaign to appeal to the younger generation. Many experts suggested that Modi created the brand “NaMo'' for himself through relentless media campaigning, something that <keyword id="19895780" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rahul-gandhi" source="keywords">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> and other major political leaders could not do at the time. Additionally, he is also said to have had the support of the 45,000 country-wide RSS branches — the Hindu cultural nationalist parent of the BJP. However, after the leader had managed to comfortably settle into his new role as the Prime Minister of India, he announced the demonetisation of all ₹500 and ₹1,000 banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi Series on 8 November 2016. As per a 2018 report from the Reserve Bank of India said that “the effort had failed to remove black money from the economy”. Modi was widely criticised for the way this move impacted the middle-class people of India. Despite this setback as well as criticism against his economic reforms like GST, he continued to implement bold policy changes to strengthen the core economy. His tilt towards a digital economy and seemingly tough actions against corrupt practices received widespread acclaim. He also successfully invoked a strong sense of nationalism and security in the people through the Balakot airstrike, a bombing raid conducted by Indian warplanes in February 2019. And it worked! BJP came to power again in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, this victory being bigger than the last. The BJP won a whopping 37.36% of the vote — the highest by a political party since the 1989 general elections with 303 seats. However, similar to 2019, towards the end of his second term in 2024, joblessness appears to be on the rise and incomes of farmers continue to plummet. Amid major issues like food inflation and the threat of AI to the job market, the ruling party relied on not-so-subtle religious polarisation and a ton of welfare programmes. From being chowkidar in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been depicted to be a saint today by many of his followers. While past leaders in India have tried to hold on to their secular image, Mr Modi has been seen flouting this convention on multiple occasions, expressing that he takes pride in his religion. With crores of followers still supporting him, the PM seems to be already on a path to victory. Only time will tell if the struggles during the last phases of this year’s election will come back to haunt him. In the meantime, stay tuned to Business Insider India for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/lok-sabha-election-results-2024-live-counting-begins-at-8-am-as-bjp-led-nda-hopes-for-a-historic-third-term/articleshow/110685785.cms">more updates on the Lok Sabha elections 2024</a>.

As PM Modi awaits his third big win, here’s how BJP created history during the 2014 & 2019 Lok Sabha elections

New Delhi: In the world's largest democracy, every five years, a spectacular theatrical performance unfolds, captivating crores of people with its vibrancy, diversity, and sheer scale. Yes, we're talking about the <keyword id="19923279" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha-elections" source="keywords">Lok Sabha Elections</keyword> in India. And we have the dates now for the grand finale: June 4! The Election Commission of India on Saturday announced the dates for the general elections to be held from April 19 to June 1 in seven phases. Chief Election Commissioner <keyword id="20110344" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajiv-kumar" source="keywords">Rajiv Kumar</keyword> announced today that the results will be announced on June 4. Phase 1 voting will be held on April 19, Phase 2 on April 26, Phase 3 on May 7, Phase 4 on May 13, Phase 5 on May 20, Phase 6 on May 25, and Phase 7 on June 1. “We will take democracy to every corner of the country. It is our promise to deliver a national election in a manner that we... remain a beacon for democracy around the world,” said the Chief Election Commissioner. <div type="image" title="Polling schedule" agency="ANI" msid="108550459" hostid="261" sizebytes="17144" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Polling schedule (ANI)&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The tenure of the present <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> ends on June 16 and a new House will have to be constituted before that. As the tenure of Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Odisha assemblies will also end in June, these states will get an early taste of the ‘one nation, one election’ process, wherein voters will be casting votes for both Lok Sabha and assembly elections. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="subhead" text="Model code of conduct kicks in">Model code of conduct kicks in</cmsannotation> With the announcement of election dates, the model code of conduct comes into immediate effect. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar asked all political parties and their leaders to strictly adhere to the poll code. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) mandates that no party or candidate shall indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences, create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic, according to the set of guidelines issued by the EC. It lists out the dos and don'ts regarding general conduct, meetings, processions, conduct of parties and their candidates on polling day, polling booth, observers, party in power and guidelines on election manifestos. According to the guidelines, all parties and candidates shall avoid scrupulously all activities which are "corrupt practices" and offences under the election law, such as bribing of voters, intimidation of voters, impersonation of voters, canvassing within 100 meters of polling stations, holding public meetings during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for the close of the poll, and the transport and conveyance of voters to and from the polling station. Political parties and candidates shall ensure that their supporters do not create obstructions in or break up meetings and processions organized by other parties. As soon as the poll code comes into effect, the party in power be it at the Centre or in the State or states concerned, shall ensure that no cause is given for any complaint that it has used its official position for the purposes of its election campaign. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="subhead" text="Major players and issues">Major players and issues</cmsannotation> Undoubtedly, the scale and magnitude of a nationwide election in a country like India involve numerous complex considerations. However, the major political parties are hoping to narrow down the voter’s priorities to a few major foundational aspirations on which powerful campaigns can be built. Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword>, and his party <keyword id="19931558" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bharatiya-janata-party" source="keywords">Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword> (BJP), are confident of reelection for a third consecutive term. They have pitched 'Modi Ki Guarantee' as the main theme of his campaign. PM's website describes it as a guarantee for the development of youth, empowerment of women, welfare of farmers, and all those marginalised and vulnerable who have been ignored for decades. In a letter to the citizens of India on March 15, the Prime Minister noted, “The trust and support of 140 crore Indians inspires and motivates me. The transformation that has taken place in the lives of the people is the biggest achievement of our government over the last 10 years. These transformative outcomes are the result of the sincere efforts made by a determined government to improve the quality of life for the poor, farmers, youth and women.” BJP is building its campaign by highlighting the welfare schemes of the government, infrastructural development across the country, and the rejuvenation of the country’s cultural heritage. The major opposition party <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="congress" source="keywords">Congress</keyword>, on the other hand, is banking on its <keyword id="20366194" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nyay" source="keywords">Nyay</keyword> guarantees to woo voters. The grand old party saw some success in the state elections of Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana when it pitched such 'Nyay' guarantees to the people. For the Lok Sabha polls, the party has put forward its 5 guarantees aimed at ensuring justice for youth, farmers, women, labourers, and participatory justice. The INDIA bloc, including the Congress, has been raising the issue of unemployment and rising prices of essential commodities. They have stated repeatedly that the lack of jobs is the single biggest issue and sought to corner the government over the issue. The BJP has hit back citing job growth and a fast-growing economy. Other major poll issues include electoral bonds, abrogation of Article 370, <keyword id="19963301" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="caa" source="keywords">CAA</keyword>, Uniform Civil Code, Ayodhya Ram Mandir, farmer protests for legal guarantee of MSP, and the Viksit Bharat vision of the government. Overall, India is poised to see an enthralling clash of ideologies, ideas, and personalities throughout the election season as the EC has opened the race for ruling the most populous country on Earth. (With inputs from ANI and PTI)

Elections 2024: Lok Sabha general elections in 7 phases from April 19, results on June 4; Here’s all you need to know

<ul><li>Actors of an erstwhile era, Shatrugan Sinha and Poonam Sinha, are fighting for rival parties.</li><li>However, the husband and wife duo campaign for each other in respective constituencies.</li><li>This is not the first time in India that a married couple has shared a roof but not the same political affiliation.</li></ul>The Indian Parliament is full of colour. Shatrughan Sinha and Poonam Sinha are Bollywood stars of a bygone era, with over 300 films to their credit according to IMDB. In the ongoing Parliamentary elections, they represent two rival parties, the Indian National Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) respectively. The two parties are fighting each other in one of the country's most crucial states, Uttar Pradesh. Both parties tried to stitch a coalition to beat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi but the plans have not come to fruition yet. But that hasn't stopped the actors-turned-politicians from campaigning for each other. Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha had <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/shatrughan-sinha-defends-backing-wife-at-samajwadi-rally-says-it-was-his-duty-as-a-husband-2026047" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">campaigned for his wife in Lucknow</a>. His wife, Poonam, is going against a local heavyweight, and a national BJP stalwart past his prime, Rajnath Singh, who is also the serving union minister for Home Affairs. Lucknow is the capital of the country's most populous state, UP, and voting is underway. Meanwhile, Pramod Krishnam standing from Lucknow for the Congress, Shatrugan's party, is fuming at his colleague performing, what the latter called, 'the husband's duty'. https://twitter.com/ShatruganSinha/status/1119485148351930372 Poonam Sinha joined the SP, which is fighting in alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party, on April 16. This was much after the coalition's talks with Congress, to outnumber the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, failed. However, that did not stop her from joining the SP, while her 72-year old husband <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/lok-sabha-elections-2019-pm-narendra-modi-is-my-friend-but-shatrughan-sinha-on-why-he-left-bjp-2021047" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">had already left the BJP to join the Congress</a> party on April 10. Confused much? The protagonists are not. Shatrughan Sinha, the Parliamentarian from Patna Sahib constituency in Bihar for the last ten years, left the BJP after the party decided to dump and nominate union minister for law and information technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad, from the seat. So he broke up from the party, which he was part of for 27 years, and joined the Congress at the behest of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, founded by Laloo Prasad Yadav, which is in alliance with Congress in another state, Bihar. Now, read the story again a few times. A whiteboard and a marker may come in handy in explaining the musical chairs that the Indian election can be, at times. Most often than not, both parties and candidates put the ability to win a seat ahead of ideology and, even, conflict of interest. This is not the first time that a husband and wife have shared the same roof but not the same political affiliation. <a href="https://www.rediff.com/news/column/why-j-b-kripalani-needs-to-be-remembered/20181124.htm" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani</a> was a long-time follower of Mahatma Gandhi, a Congress party member and a educationist in his own right. However, he left the party in 1950 and turned into one of its harshest critic of the party ever since. Meanwhile, his wife Sucheta Kripalani remained in the party served as Union minister in various portfolios, and became the first lady chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1963. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/jawed-habib-joins-bjp-and-his-grandfather-served-nehru-and-mountbatten/articleshow/69001442.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">India’s most famous ‘barber’ with a striking family history joins team Modi</a>

The fascinating story of a Bollywood couple in rival parties seeking votes for each other

<ul><li>The Raigad seat, in Maharashtra, is going to be close contest between Shiv Sena’s Anant Geeta and the Nationalist Congress Party’s <keyword id="103120" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sunil-Tatkare">Sunil Tatkare</keyword> during the third phase of the <keyword id="3393746" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="General-Election-2019">general election 2019</keyword>. </li><li>Geeta is being called by the opposition and voters for being ‘inactive’ during his tenure as the state’s Heavy Industries Minister. </li><li>Tatkare is currently under investigated for alleged corruption in one of Raigad’s irrigation projects. </li></ul>The <keyword id="2189945" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Raigad-Lok-Sabha">Raigad Lok Sabha</keyword> is fairly new constituency that only came into existence in 2008. And since the general election 2009, only one man has been holding that seat — <keyword id="311415" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anant-Geete">Anant Geete</keyword> from Shiv Seva, a Marathi regional and Hindu national political party. His contender, who only to Geete lost by 2,000 votes in the 2014 general election — Sunil Tatkare — belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). And, of the 16 candidates competing in Raigad, Geete and Tatkare have emerged as the key contenders. One of the key issues for the constituency is the lack of employment opportunities and the lack of connectivity in the area. It’s also the platform from which Tatkare is attacking Geete. 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="Apart from that, our focus is on tourism, which will generate many employment opportunities to locals. We are improving road infrastructure for that; we are developing Dighi Port, we are also building the coastal highway." auname="Geete"></div>



 GeeteTatkare has been campaigning that Geete, despite being the Heavy Industries Minister, has been largely “inactive” in being able to create jobs. He adds, “I intend to bring in employment by getting automobile and IT industries in the area and through developing the coastal highway to boost tourism.” Voters has also been agitated about the delay in completing the Mumbai Goa highway, starting the Pen-Alibaug railway as well as the closure of any industrial units. But Tatkare stands on a shifty platform as well since he’s under <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/ncps-sunil-tatkare-named-in-anti-corruption-bureau-chargesheet/articleshow/60470418.cms">investigation</a> for corruption. It has been alleged, as the Minister of Water Resources, Tatkare violated norms in employing the Kodane Irrigation Project for which the costs increased to ₹3.27 billion from ₹56 million during his tenure. The winner of this Lok Sabha will oversee the Indian government’s ₹300,000 planned investment, in collaboration with oil marketing companies, to develop a mega refinery in Raigad. That is another point of contention since it was the Shiv Sena to blocked the project from being built in the districts of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg — but have no opposition to it being built in Raigad. Should Geete win, this will be his seventh straight term in the Lok Sabha and he no longer has to deal with the dispute between him and Ramdas Kadam. Meanwhile, Tatkare is banking on Raj Tackeray and his party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, to oppose the BJP and campaign for the Congress-NCP candidates in the state. In 2014, Raigad saw a voter turnout of 64.44% and considering the precarious pre-poll conditions, the security arrangements for the polling booths has been increased. 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="As many as 156 police officers have, 2,228 constabulary staff, 800 home guards, two companies of CRPF jawans and a SRPF platoon have been deployed." auname="Anil Paraskar, Raigad Superintendent of Police"></div>

Raigad in Maharashtra has to choose between the ‘inactive’ incumbent and someone being investigated for corruption

<ul><li>Intense violence has tainted Kerala' politics in recent years.</li><li>Simmering tensions between the UDF, LDF, and the BJP may affect voter turnout.</li><li>If people decide to avoid voting to stay safe, it may skew the results.</li></ul>The southern state of Kerala, famous for its scenic backwaters and high literacy rate, has seen one of the most violent election campaigns in the country. If people decide to sit at home to avoid getting caught in any sort of violence, it may skew the results in favour of one party or the other. <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019/kerala/news/violent-end-to-vibrant-poll-campaign/articleshow/68987461.cms">More than 30 people</a>, including a policeman, were injured at Thiruvalla where the activists of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) clashed on the last day of the campaign (April 21). That was only one of the many violent clashes that have caught headlines in the state that boasts of 94% literacy, according to the 2011 census. Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), better known by its acronym CPI(M), said that the party had 13 workers in the last one year. However, police <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/kerala-news/kerala-rss-workers-murder-data-reveals-record-of-political-killings-1733728">records verified by NDTV</a> showed that 14 people from the RSS, BJP, and the left parties have been murdered for political reasons since February 2018. The count of similar deaths between 2000 and 2017 escalates to over 170, according to the same report. The increasingly restive political air in Kerala only shows how tight the fight is going to be. 26 million voters are enlisted for voting on April 23, the <keyword id="2211307" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Third-phase-of-polling">third phase of polling</keyword> in the ongoing elections for the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. The voter turnout in the state was a record 73.6% in 2014, <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/elections-news/election-2014-kerala-records-73-6-per-cent-voter-turnout-highest-since-1991-556911" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">the highest since 1991</a>. The United Democratic Front led by the Indian National Congress bagged 12 seats while the remaining eight went to the LDF led by the communist party-led coalition. However, the BJP is expected to be a strong contender this time around, more than it has been ever before. The threat from the BJP is seen as the strongest in some regions that have strong Hindu majority, where people are peeved by a 2018 Supreme Court verdict that allowed <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/supreme-court-allows-women-to-enter-sabarimala-temple/articleshow/65989807.cms">women into the Sabarimala Temple</a>. Tradition did not allow women of menstruating age into the temple until the court verdict. The <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019/kerala/news/will-do-everything-to-protect-sabarimala-shah/articleshow/68971697.cms">BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh</a> (RSS), milked the issue and kept the anger alive to turn it against the incumbent Parliamentarians. Hindus make up for only 54% of the state’s population, according to the 2011 Census, compared to 80% nationally. 26% of Kerala’s population are Muslims and 18% are Christians. However, the RSS has had a strong support base in Kerala for years but the <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/rss-strengthening-base-in-kerala-number-of-shakhas-rising/articleshow/57147070.cms">hindu natioanlist organisation</a> is now stronger in the state than ever before. The odds of BJP getting more votes than before are higher but <a href="https://www.timesnownews.com/elections/article/opinion-poll-for-lok-sabha-election-2019-live-times-now-vmr-survey-for-bjp-congress-narendra-modi-rahul-gandhi/384850">most opinion polls</a> have still pegged it as a two-way fight between the UDF and the LDF in the state. A big factor working in favour of the LDF is the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/kerala-will-set-an-example-in-rebuilding-rehabilitation-pinarayi-vijayan/articleshow/65481744.cms">elevated reputation of state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan</a>. He won accolades for effectively managing a devastating flood in the state in 2018. The state also has a long history of leftists dominating state politics. Kerala’s first chief minister in 1957, EMS Namboodiripad, was one of the world’s first communist leaders to head an elected government. On the other hand, UDF led by Congress is trying to squeeze the BJP out by supporting the protests against the entry of women into the Sabarimala Temple. “Well, you cannot afford to write off the votes of the majority in times of political interest,” <a href="https://qz.com/india/1601119/election-2019-congresss-tharoor-battles-modis-bjp-in-kerala/">Congress leader Shashi Tharoor</a> fighting to defend the state capital Thriuvananthapuram told Quartz. The margin for error has shrunk significantly for Tharoor who swept the seat with 100,000 more votes than the second candidate in 2009. By 2014, it had shrunk to 14,000 and this time it is expected to be even tighter. Given that tensions are running high, voter turnout may become a deciding factor. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-election-2019-3rd-phase-polling-live-updates/liveblog/68999100.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">LIVE BLOG: Voting in 117 constituencies underway</a>

Voter turnout may be tested in India’s most literate state that has seen one of the most violent election campaigns

The stage is set for the second phase of assembly poll in <keyword id="6357783" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-bengal">West Bengal</keyword> on Thursday when more than 75 lakh voters will decide the fate of 191 candidates in 30 seats as eyes are set on the high profile Nandigram constituency where Chief Minister <keyword id="43868" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mamata-Banerjee">Mamata Banerjee</keyword> is pitted against her protag turned adversary Suvendu Adhikari. All 10,620 booths where polling will be held this phase have been declared as sensitive by the <keyword id="40807" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-Commission">Election Commission</keyword>, which has deployed around 651 companies of central forces to provide security, officials said. Besides, the state police will also be deployed at strategic locations during the polling which will begin at 7 am, they said. A total 199 companies of Central Armed Police Force will be deployed in Purba Medinipur, 210 companies in Paschim Medinipur, 170 in South 24 Parganas and 72 in Bankura, the sources said. TMC and BJP are contesting in all the 30 seats, while CPI(M) is in the fray in 15 and its alliance partners of Sanjukta Morcha the Congress and ISF are competing in 13 and two seats respectively. Polling will take place amid strict COVID-19 guidelines in nine seats of Paschim Medinipur, eight in Bankura, four seats in South 24 Parganas and nine in Purba Medinipur - the home ground of TMC turncoat and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. Nandigram falls in Purba Medinipur district. The agrarian constituency which shook the foundations of the mighty Left regime over the anti-land acquisition movement in 2007, has now turned into a battleground of titans with Banerjee suddenly deciding to switch from her Bhowanipur seat to the constituency held by Adhikari, her former lieutenant who has switched loyalty to the BJP. For Adhikari it is a battle for political survival as a defeat would be a devastating blow and might also put a question mark on his political graph in his new party the BJP. Similarly, a victory would not only establish him as one of the tallest leaders in Bengal but would also push him few miles ahead of others in the Chief Ministerial race in case the BJP is voted to power. For Banerjee, who is running for the third successive term as chief minister, a victory is a must to lead the government and keep together her party, which is faced with exodus. For the Congress-Left-ISF alliance candidate Minakshi Mukherjee of CPI-M, the challenge is to regain her party's lost ground. While Banerjee had been camping in Nandigram for the last four days, BJP fielded its 'big guns', including Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and superstar <keyword id="14672" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mithun-Chakraborty">Mithun Chakraborty</keyword> to defend Adhikari's turf, which he had won in 2016 and take on 'Didi' (as Mamata is popularly called). Apart from identity politics and Bengali sub- nationalism, the demand for jobs, inclusion of Hindu backward communities in the OBC category and setting up of agro-based industry have emerged as main poll planks in the second phase of polls. l Of the 30 seats which will see voting on Thursday, 23 were won by TMC in the 2016 assembly elections, five by Left Front and Congress and BJP one each. The political equation in the state had changed in 2019 when BJP made massive inroads in the tribal-dominated Janga Mahal region and Medinipur belt by sweeping all the five Lok Sabha seats. The TMC, however, has been able to maintain its dominance in South 24 Parganas district, where there is sizeable minority population. A prominent seat going to the poll in the second phase is Sabang, where TMC has fielded its Rajya Sabha MP Manas Bhunia. He is up against TMC turncoat and BJP leader Amulya Maity. Bhunia, a former state Congress president, had held the seat from 1982 to 016 as Congress nominee before switching over to the TMC in September 2016. TMC has fielded actor <keyword id="1076648" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sayantika-Banerjee">Sayantika Banerjee</keyword>, a popular face in the Bengali silver screen, from Bankura seat against BJP's Niladri Sekhar Dana. The Sanjukta Morcha has fielded Congress candidate Radharani Banerjee. In Debra seat, two former IPS officers will cross swords. One is BJP candidate Bharati Ghosh who is contesting against TMC's <keyword id="184573" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Humayun-Kabir">Humayun Kabir</keyword>. Both had resigned from their senior police posts to join active politics. Banerjee, who is in a wheelchair since her accident early this moth, crisscrossed the majority of the constituencies going to the polls in the second phase. TMC MP <keyword id="255730" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Abhishek-Banerjee">Abhishek Banerjee</keyword> toured the rest asserting that TMC will not let Bengal to be ruled from Delhi or Gujarat in an apparent reference to the battery of central BJP leaders and ministers camping in the state. Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda had led BJP's campaign from the front addressing rallies at Kanthi, Bankura and Nandigram and urging the electorate to vote for BJP to usher in 'ashol poriborton' (actual change) to build 'Sonar Bangla' (prosperous Bengal). SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/samsung-galaxy-a72-mobile-phone-review/slidelist/81774857.cms">Samsung Galaxy A72 review – a premium mid-range phone in a crowded market</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/earth-lost-more-arctic-sea-ice-than-the-area-of-rajasthan-and-madhya-pradesh-combined-in-2021/articleshow/81775537.cms">The planet lost more Arctic sea ice than the area of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh combined in 2021</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/from-smartphones-to-cars-india-needs-so-many-semiconductor-chips-that-modi-may-offer-billion-dollar-cash-reward/articleshow/81777612.cms">Howzzat! A $1 billion cash reward for making semiconductor chips in India⁠ is under consideration</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/sbi-icici-hdfc-and-other-bank-customers-could-face-otp-issues-from-april-1/articleshow/81777962.cms">Bank OTP issue – SBI, ICICI, HDFC and other bank customers could face OTP issues from April 1</a>

Bengal set for second phase polling in 30 seats, all eyes on Nandigram

<ul><li>The <keyword id="43677" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Voter-turnout">voter turnout</keyword> in the third phase of the Indian election fell to 64.33%.</li><li>In the past two phases of the Indian general election, the voter turnout had maintained itself at nearly 70%.</li></ul>The third and the largest phase of the India’s Parliamentary election saw the voter turnout dip to 64.33% from nearly 70% during the first two phases. The voter count midway through the current election would compare to the 66.4% clocked in 2014, which, at the time, the highest ever voter turnout for India. 
 
 
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 Malfunctions with electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) and streaks of violence continue to rage on and affect polling. The north eastern state of Assam saw the highest voter turnout during the third phase of the <keyword id="3383007" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-2019">election 2019</keyword> with 80% voter turnout, while West Bengal and Tripura were close runner ups with 79% voter turnout. Jammu and Kashmir was at the opposite end of the spectrum with a mere 13% of voters showing up to cast their ballot. 
	
 
 <div type="image" title="Copy of PG - Phase 3" msid="69012899" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Voter turnout during the third phase of the Indian election&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>







 Four of the key states that were up to poll — Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal — reported violence breaking out in at least one constituency. In the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers were trying to <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1120620758483341313">beat up</a> a member of the National Congress Party for raising a black blag to one of BJP’s candidates in video published by ANI. Today's polls concluded the voting for 22 states completely.

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