Election results 2024: BJP reviews Lok Sabha polling, prepares for counting day

NDA allies hold high-level meetings ahead of Lok Sabha election results, preparing for potential ministerial berths and counting day.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) saw an uptick of political activity on June 3, a day before results are to be announced for the Lok Sabha election, with Bihar Chief Minister and NDA ally Nitish Kumar meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and party president J.P. Nadda holding a high-level review meeting at his residence.

While Mr. Kumar’s meeting with Mr. Modi was said to be a courtesy call since the former had taken ill during Mr. Modi’s nomination process from Varanasi in May, at which other NDA partners had been present, sources did not rule out the sealing of ministerial berths for Janata Dal-United (JD-U) MPs in any future NDA government. While Mr. Kumar was expected to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah as well, the two did not meet in person but spoke on the phone before Mr. Kumar left New Delhi for Patna.

“BJP president J.P. Nadda presided over a meeting where senior Ministers like Rajnath Singh-ji, Amit Shah-ji were present, as well as other Ministers and some [party] general secretaries. It was largely about a review over how voting went on across the seven phases, and also reviewing preparations for counting as well,” BJP senior general secretary Vinod Tawde said of the meeting at Mr. Nadda’s home.

Former Haryana Chief Minister M.L. Khattar and senior Minister Piyush Goyal were also said to be present at the meeting.

The review for counting day, Mr. Tawde said, was over the deployment of booth and counting agents, as well as having BJP office-bearers at hand where counting could give rise to doubts.

Sources aware of the meeting said that details of all BJP candidates were sought, and State unit presidents across the country were also called up to take inputs.

“There are States like West Bengal where we apprehend intimidation by TMC (Trinamool Congress) cadre, and we have to prepare our office-bearers to deal with it,” a senior BJP leader said.