Exit polls point to a crushing victory for Narendra Modi
The BJP is expected to extend its reach across India
![Uttar Pradesh, India: A woman casts her vote on a Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) at a polling station during the fifth phase of the Indian General Elections.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240601_ASP504.jpg)
AFTER WEEKS of feverish campaigning, voting ended in India’s general election at 6pm local time on June 1st. But it took just 30 minutes for another frenzy to kick in. As a ban on the release of exit-poll data was lifted, media outlets rushed to dissect the findings from a handful of pollsters. They all point to a sweeping victory by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and a third term for Narendra Modi, the prime minister. (The official results are reported on June 4th.)
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