(With inputs from agencies)NEW DELHI: Keir Starmer's Labour Party is poised to win a historic victory in the UK general election, ending 14 years of Conservative rule , according to exit polls released shortly after voting ended on Thursday.Labour is projected to secure 410 seats in the 650-seat parliament, while Rishi Sunak 's Conservatives are forecast to win only 131 seats, down from 346 previously.The Liberal Democrats are predicted to capture 61 seats, and Nigel Farage's Reform UK party is expected to win 13 seats. The exit poll represents a significant turnaround for Labour, which faced an existential crisis just three years ago.Voters appear to have punished the Conservatives for the cost-of-living crisis, years of instability, and in-fighting that has seen five different prime ministers since 2016. Sunak's campaign was plagued by gaffes, including getting drenched by rain while announcing the election and leaving D-Day commemorations early for a TV interview.While polls suggest there is no great enthusiasm for Starmer, his message of change seems to have resonated with voters. The disenchanted British public has moved to the center-left, unlike in France where the far-right National Rally party made historic gains in a recent election.If the exit poll proves accurate, Starmer will become Britain's next prime minister, and Sunak will resign, meeting with King Charles to seek permission to form a new government.
