A day after the Lok Sabha polls concluded and exit polls predicted another victory for the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is set to join a virtual meeting with all party candidates and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday morning, according to party sources. Sources also mentioned that after the 11 am meeting, Kharge and Gandhi will hold a virtual meeting with prominent Congress leaders from across the country at 1 pm.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, and other party leaders are expected to join the meeting to discuss assessments and preparations for June 4, the day votes will be counted. Congress sources said the 1 pm meeting will be live-streamed. This meeting follows closely on the heels of the opposition-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc gathering at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in the national capital on Saturday. Leaders from Congress, Samajwadi Party, CPI-M, CPI, DMK, JMM, AAP, RJD, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar) attended for discussions. Voting for the 543-member Lok Sabha occurred simultaneously with Assembly elections in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh. The extensive voting process, spread over seven phases, concluded on Saturday, with vote counting scheduled for June 4.
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Exit polls on Saturday predicted a hat-trick win for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in the Lok Sabha polls with a massive majority, suggesting the ruling party would improve its performance in several states governed by other parties. Some exit polls even predicted the BJP-led NDA might achieve the "400 paar" goal mentioned by BJP leaders during the campaign.The predictions indicated the ruling BJP-led NDA is set to surpass its 2019 record of 352 seats, with two polls suggesting the BJP could improve on its previous 303-seat win from the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The Narendra Modi-led BJP is seeking a third term, while the opposition INDIA bloc aims to stop their momentum and gain power.