Rahul Gandhi's reference to deceased Congress leader Sidhu Moosewala's song '295' to predict the Lok Sabha elections result has come true with a cruel twist for the INDIA bloc. Rahul Gandhi had predicted the number for the Opposition's INDIA alliance. But the 295-seat figure did not come up in favour of the Opposition bloc. It was the BJP that was leading on 293 seats as last updates on the Lok Sabha election results came in at 8:15 PM on Wednesday.
Soon after Rahul Gandhi made the statement, the video went viral. However, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had earlier said that an "internal survey" had predicted 295+ seats for the Opposition alliance. Kharge asserted the same after a meeting of the INDIA partners in Delhi on June 1.
While the BJP-led NDA went to the Lok Sabha elections with an ambitious target of 400 seats, the INDIA bloc did not set any target as such. However, it did slam the BJP over its 400-seat target, accusing it of wanting to achieve the figure only to change the Constitution of India. The India bloc made the 295+ seat prediction only after the seventh and last phase of polls.
The BJP was unsuccessful in even crossing the 300-seat mark, but still had the numbers to form the government. Exit polls after the final phase of the elections had written off the Opposition alliance. But the INDIA bloc proved the post-poll surveys wrong and secured an unexpected mandate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's barbs of "dynasty politics" and "ghamandiya [arrogant] alliance" and claims of "Muslim reservation" and "wealth redistribution" seemingly did not find too many takers at large. The INDIA bloc's sustained campaign, which included the Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi, apparently connected well with the masses. This translated into votes directly, benefiting the Congress and its INDIA partners.
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