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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar exuded confidence in the Bharatiya Janata Party "picking up many more" seats in the southern states in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
Jaishankar asserted that a "new level of energy and enthusiasm" is seen across South India. "I think what you are seeing in South India is really a very new level of energy and enthusiasm. I could see that in Telangana, where I was, but in other southern states as well. So I think there's a genuine possibility, a serious possibility this time that the BJP would actually pick up many more seats in all the southern states," the EAM told ANI in Delhi on Thursday. Jaishankar earlier on Wednesday campaigned for BJP's candidate from Telangana's Bhuvanagiri Lok Sabha seat. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence that the BJP's vote share in the south would increase this time compared to the previous parliamentary polls. In an interview with Asianet News Network on April 21, PM Modi said, "You see Telangana, where our vote share has doubled. In the 2019 parliamentary elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the South. The BJP has the highest number of MPs. I believe that in 2024 (the Lok Sabha elections), the vote share is going to increase compared to the previous elections. Seats will also increase." The voting for 88 seats across 13 states will be held in the second phase on April 26. The first phase of voting in 102 constituencies across 21 states and UTs was held on April 19. The second phase of polling was to be held on 89 seats but it has been deferred to May 7 in Betul in Madhya Pradesh due to the death of the BSP candidate. Five seats in Assam and Bihar, three in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, 14 in Karnataka, 20 in Kerala, six in Madhya Pradesh, eight in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, 13 in Rajasthan and one each in Manipur, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir will be voting in the second phase. The results will be announced on June 4. (ANI)
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