People in Gujarat want change; hopeful of converting into vote: Congress' Mumtaz Patel
Jun 04, 2024
New Delhi [India], June 4 : As the counting of votes is progressing in Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Congress leader Mumtaz Patel on Tuesday expressed optimism that people will bring a change in the state.
"The exact polls will be out in a few hours. We hope that the results will not be the same as the exit polls...People in Gujarat were enthusiastic and they wanted a change. We are hopeful that it will convert into votes," she told ANI.
Exit polls indicate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA is securing victory on all the 26 seats in PM Modi's home state Gujarat.
According to exit poll figures by Times Now ETG, NDA is set to sweep all 26 seats while the Congress-led INDIA bloc is failing to open its account in the state.
According to exit poll data by INDIA TV also, NDA is securing victory on all the seats while the INDIA alliance is unable to secure even one seat.
In the previous Lok Sabha elections also in 2019 and 2014, the BJP had won all the 26 seats.
Under the seat-sharing arrangement, Congress is contesting in 24 seats while the Aam Aadmi Party fielded its candidates in Bhavnagar and Bharuch constituencies.
Some of the key BJP candidates in the state include Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
Strict security measures have been implemented to ensure the smooth counting of votes for more than 8,000 candidates in this general election. Vote counting commenced at 8 pm today.
Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that a "very robust system" has been put in place. "There are around 10.5 lakh booths. Each booth will have 14 tables. There are observers and micro-observers. Nearly, 70-80 lakh people are involved in the process," he said.
Results of the Assembly elections in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh were held simultaneously with voting for the 543-member Lok Sabha. Results of 175 Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and 147 Assembly constituencies in Odisha and results of bypolls in 25 Assembly constituencies will also be declared today (Tuesday).
