So the last has finally come to the last. There are only a few hours to go before the results of India’s long-drawn, eventful, momentous general elections start pouring in.
Counting of votes will be begin at 8 in the morning tomorrow. Pollsters have already spoken — but the a projected landslide for the ruling BJP has not exactly settled the nerves of an edgy nation where poll surprises are more a norm than an aberration.
In what was one of the most bitterly fought elections in memory, 542 of the 543 seats are up for grabs tomorrow.
What if BJP wins as foretold
Exit polls have predicted BJP+ will win between 267 and 350 seats — with most pollsters projections for Modi well above the 272-seat majority mark.
In case these projections come true, BJP’s sway will likely become absolute. It will provide Modi with the policy space to restart his economic programmes that were left to hang fire in the wake of the elections.
Politically, a win will establish beyond doubt the power of BJP’s election machine. All questions now hang on the party’s fate in Uttar Pradesh, where a win for Modi could permanently rewrite the usual electoral equations that every political party in India banks on.
A significant inroad in Bengal — as predicted by some pollsters — will be even more important as it will show that Modi’s appeal has now reached a level which no regional party can hope to challenge anytime soon.
