There is a proverb which says “ “It’s a poor workman who blames his tools.”, It seems like this is also true in Indian politics. All polls show a “clear cut victory of BJP led NDA.” The opposition parties (INDIA alliance) are now trying very hard to find someone or something to blame. They are starting with the Election Commission and going all the way up to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and exit polls. Each party said they would win a certain number of seats. The BJP said they would win 400 seats, and the Congress Party said they would win 295 seats and both parties said the media was biassed

Manipulation Claims:

Parties in opposition have said that the BJP is trying to control the Election Commission and scare District Magistrates (DMs) in different districts. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said that BJP President Amit Shah is forcing DMs to do what he wants. The Election Commission demanded evidence to support these allegations, but none has been provided so far. The opposition has also raised concerns about the safety of the EVMs and demanded that all postal ballots be counted before the EVMs. Allegation is not supported by any facts

The Election Commission’s Response: The Election Commission denies the accusations and attacks rumours spread by the opposition. They have criticized the opposition for spreading rumours and creating an atmosphere of suspicion. They have emphasized that the counting process is transparent and secure. The Commission has also stated that counting of postal ballots and EVMs happens simultaneously to ensure a fair and accurate result.

Internal Exit Poll of the Congress Party: An internal exit poll of the Congress Party predicted that the party would win at least 50 seats in every state, including Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. The BJP thinks that the Congress’s position is unrealistic and not based on facts. Some say that the Internal Exit poll is based on how engaged YouTubers are with each video.

The Debate: The BJP sticks to its prediction of 400 seats, while the Congress changes its guess to 295 seats. Political analysts are sceptical about both forecasts, which makes people look more closely at the methods used and the facts on the ground.

As a result of the debate surrounding exit polls and election results, India’s political system is deeply divided and distrustful. The opposition keeps saying that the Election Commission manipulated the results, but the Commission stays firm on its commitment to truth and openness. It looks like the parties in the opposition are trying to make sense of why they lost the Loksabha poll.  The results of the Loksabha election 2024 will be made public in a few hours. It will be interesting to see who wins.