"Left everything to people, will accept their mandate": Apni Party candidate Zafar Iqbal Manhas

Anantnag, June 04: As the counting of votes in Lok Sabha polls is underway, Apni Party candidate from Anantnag-Rajouri Zafar Iqbal Manhas said that the people have already exercised their franchise adding that he is ready to accept the mandate of public.

"According to me, everything was over on May 25, when people went to cast their votes. Whatever has to happen will happen today. During elections, I was stressed but now I have left everything to people and I will accept their mandate," Zafar Iqbal Manhas told ANI.

Anantnag-Rajouri seat witnessed a high-stake contest among People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief and former Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti National Conference (NC) candidate Mian Altaf Ahmad and Zafar Iqbal Manhas of the Apni Party is also contesting the polls, making the contest a triangular fight.

Around 642 million people voted in Lok Sabha elections held over seven phases in a mammoth six-week period. The counting of votes began starting with postal ballot papers amid tight security. The counting for State Legislative Assemblies of 175 Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and 147 Assembly constituencies in Odisha and results of bypolls in 25 Assembly constituencies also began.

Strict security has been put in place for the smooth conduct of counting of votes for over 8,000 candidates in this general election. With counting began for the Lok Sabha elections, which have seen the largest voter participation, the electoral fate of several leaders across the political spectrum will be decided.

Two exit polls predicted the BJP would also improve its numbers from the 303 seats it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Most exit polls predicted a straight term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with quite few of them projecting a two-thirds majority for the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The Congress party and its allies dismissed the exit polls as "orchestrated" and a work of "fantasy", asserting that the opposition INDIA bloc will form the next government at the Centre.

In the 2019 elections, NDA wrested 353 seats, of which the BJP won 303 alone. The Opposition's UPA got only 93 seats of which the Congress got 52.