Nearly 900 million (90 crore) people were eligible to vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. (Photo: Reuters)

Has the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) been able to bridge the urban-rural gap in vote share? Whom did women support? Did caste arithmetic fail in this election? Which party got support from which economic strata?

A massive mandate in favour of the Narendra Modi-led BJP has brought to the fore multiple questions for political analysts. But the post-poll study conducted by India Today-Axis My India has answers to all these.

The study, based on a survey of more than 7 lakh respondents across every parliamentary constituency (and which predicted the 2019 results spot on), brings a detailed breakdown of voting preferences across seven key demographic parameters: gender, geography, family income, education, occupation, community/caste and age.

Browse the following interactive to see how people voted in the election. Data is available at the national level and 20 major states.

HOW INDIA VOTED IN 2019

What do the terms mean

Education:

Graduate: B.A., B. Sc., B. Com; PG**: Postgraduate - M.A., M.Sc., M.Com., M. Phil., Phd; Professional: B.E., M.B.B.S., B.Tech., M.E., M. Tech, MBA

Occupation:

Skilled Prof*: Electrician / Plumber / Guide / Pandit / Technician / Carpenter / Auto Driver / Driver; Small Shop: Tea Stall / Pan Shop / Saloon / Dhaba / Roadside / Howkers / Vegetable Seller / Fruit Seller; Professional: Doctor / Advocate / Engineer / CA.

Here are a few key points emerging from the national data:

1.Urban-rural vote divide:

BJP continues to be more popular in urban areas, but it could significantly reduce the urban-rural vote difference in this election. Some 49 per cent respondents in urban areas voted for the BJP-led NDA (National Democratic Alliance), compared to 44 per cent in rural areas. Congress-led UPA (United Progressive Alliance) received 27 per cent vote share in both rural and urban areas.

The final results reflect that of the total 342 rural seats (geographical classification based on Lokniti-CSDS), BJP won 198 and Congress 30. Among the remaining 200 urban and semi-urban seats, BJP won 105 seats and Congress 23.

2.Gender preference:

BJP has traditionally been more popular among men than women. But data from the India Today-Axis My India post-poll study suggests otherwise for the 2019 election i.e. 46 per cent women voted for the NDA compared to 44 per cent men.

3.NDA popular across all sections:

The vote share preferences for UPA and NDA do not vary much across various income and age groups, meaning rich or poor, old or young. The support for Modi cuts across all sections.

4. India decides late:

Survey data reveals the significance of multi-phase month-long poll campaigns. Some 43 per cent respondents said they made their final decision either on the day of polling (14 per cent) or a few days ago/after community meeting (29 per cent). Around 31 per cent said they were loyal voters and had always voted for the same party.

5.Factors that matter:

For 37 per cent of the respondents, the prime ministerial candidate was the most important factor, while 25 per cent voted on the basis of the local candidate. This reflects the presidential nature of the 2019 poll campaign. Only 3 per cent of the respondents said they voted based on the promises made by the party and its manifesto.

ALSO READ | India Today-Axis My India exit poll gets Lok Sabha result spot on

ALSO READ | Behind the Mega Mandate | Exit Poll Analysis