Exit polls predict Modi's alliance securing 3rd straight term in power

They also indicate that Indian PM’s party has made some inroads in southern states

- Nirmala Ganapathy

NEW DELHI - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to retain power for a third consecutive term, according to a clutch of exit polls released just hours after voting in India's mammoth election drew to a close after 44 days.

Seven exit polls predict that the alliance led by Mr Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win anywhere between 342 and 401 seats in the Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Parliament, while the opposition "India" alliance will get between 109 and 201 seats. The halfway mark is 272 out of 543 elected seats.

The official results of the election which ended amid sporadic violence in West Bengal - will be out on June 4, when votes would have been counted.

The BJP's own projection during its campaign that its alliance would snag 400-plus seats appears to be out of reach, according to six exit polls.

The exit polls also indicate that the BJP, which has long had an image of being a North Indian party, has made some inroads in southern states in this election.

The Axis-My India exit poll predicts that the BJP alliance may win one or two seats in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, where Mr Modi campaigned extensively, and two or three seats in Kerala state.

In Tamil Nadu, regional party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the exit poll predicted, would win 20 to 22 out of 39 seats.

Exit polls in India, however, have had a mixed record in predicting results.