For the first time ever, ECI calls a press conference right before Lok Sabha Election Results on June 04

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has stirred up anticipation by announcing a press conference scheduled for today, June 3, at 12:30 pm, just a day before the crucial vote counting in the Lok Sabha elections of 2024. This is the first time for the poll body to hold such a post-election, pre-result briefing.

A notification released by the election authority read, "Press Conference by Election Commission of India on General Elections 2024." Traditionally, deputy election commissioners used to conduct media interactions after each phase of polling up to the 2019 parliamentary elections, yet this practice has now been eliminated.

The extensive seven-phase voting process for the Lok Sabha elections, which commenced on April 19, concluded on Saturday, June 1. The vote tallying is set to kick off at 8 am on Tuesday, June 4, and is expected to continue until all votes across the 543 constituencies are accounted for by the Election Commission.

What did the Exit Poll figures suggest?

Amidst the campaign excitement, numerous exit polls have projected a significant win for the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha elections of 2024. These predictions suggest a potential surge in performance for the BJP from its impressive 2019 showing when it secured 352 seats.

Intriguingly, two polls have indicated that the BJP may even outdo its 303-seat victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, with some pollsters daring to forecast that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) could reach beyond the remarkable milestone of 400 seats in the Lok Sabha.

Opposition leaders have not shied away from expressing their concerns, having approached the Election Commission to emphasise the importance of first counting the paper ballots and announcing their results before revealing the Electronic Voting Machines' (EVMs) outcomes.