D-Day today: BJP eyes record 3rd win; INDIA bloc hopes to halt Modi

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, June 3

Hours to go for the declaration of the 18th Lok Sabha election results, the ruling BJP exuded confidence of a third straight win at the hustings while the Congress-led opposition alliance clutched on to hope despite exit polls painting a gloomy Tuesday for them.

• Editorial: Mixed bag for BJP

An upbeat BJP pressed the forward mode on Monday with party chief JP Nadda holding a high-level strategy meeting at his residence, where former Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar’s presence was the most talked about. A central role for the former CM — either in the government or the party — is not being ruled out.

The meeting was attended by top government and BJP brass, including ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Piyush Goyal, Mansukh Mandaviya and Ashwini Vaishnaw, and BJP general secretaries Tarun Chugh and Vinod Tawde. The leaders discussed the strategy for the counting day, BJP’s internal assessment of its own and the NDA’s performance, voter thanksgiving events in the national capital on Tuesday and across India and the broad outline for the government’s swearing-in.

Sources said June 8 or 9 were under discussion as the tentative dates for the government’s oath-taking. In 2019, the government took oath on May 30, a week after the results came. Officially, the BJP today denied having talked anything about the new government formation. “This matter will be discussed after June 4,” said Tawde. He said the party leaders decided on the counting day strategy, besides taking stock of the BJP’s and NDA’s poll performance.

“The party has planned for the result day when counting agents will be deputed across all booths. Instructions will be issued to everyone to pay attention as the counting progresses. BJP office-bearers have especially been deputed to remain vigilant,” Tawde said about the meeting.

Sources said discussions were held on how to make the “celebrations of the BJP’s win under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership a grand event”. PM Modi, before he went into the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign, had set three goals—370 seats for the BJP; over 400 seats for the NDA and 50 per cent vote share for the ruling combine—something even the Congress, at its electoral peak in 1984, could not garner.