Lok Sabha Election Results: Counting Of Votes To Begin At 8 AM, Exit Polls Predict BJP-Led NDA Victory

The counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections is slated to begin at 8 am today (4 June).

The count of postal ballots will start first across all counting centres. After half-an-hour of the start of the postal ballot count, the counting of votes from EVMs will commence.

Addressing a press conference on Monday (3 June), Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said, "Rules clearly state (Rule 54A) that postal ballot count will start first. On all centres in the country it will start first, no doubt about it. After half-an-hour we start the EVM count. So, there are three countings which are happening simultaneously -- it happened in the 2019 elections, it happened in all the assembly polls held thereafter. It happened yesterday also in case of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim assembly (vote count). We can't change anything mid course. Why can't we change, because it is compliant with the rules".

Under Rule 54 A of the Conduct of Elections Rules 1961, the counting of postal ballot papers starts first at the Returning Officer's (RO) table. 

Only the Control Unit (CU) of the EVM used in the polling station is required for the counting of votes along with Form 17C. 

Since 2019, VVPAT (paper-trail machine) slips from five randomly selected polling stations per assembly constituency (or segment in cases of Lok Sabha seats) are matched with the EVM count for greater transparency. 

Counting of VVPAT slips will start only after completion of counting of votes from CUs.

The Lok Sabha elections were held from 19 April to 1 June in seven phases, to elect all 543 members of the Lok Sabha.

The exit polls predicted that the ruling BJP-led NDA is set to improve its performance over its 2019 record when it won 352 seats, with several polls predicting that the BJP is projected to improve its numbers from the 303 seats it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Also Read: Is The Congress Planning Election Denial? Evidence Clearly Suggests So