Over 8,000 candidates have contested the Lok Sabha elections, of which 16% have been fielded by national parties, 6% by state parties, and 47% are independents, a report by PRS Legislative Research said.
This is the highest number of candidates since 1996, when a record 13,952 candidates were in the fray. In the 2019 polls, there were 8,039 candidates.
The counting of votes in Maharashtra's 48 Lok Sabha seats is set to determine the political landscape as rival factions battle for dominance. Both the Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances, comprising Shiv Sena, BJP, NCP, and Congress, are vying for supremacy.
With the second-highest seats number of seats on offer, Maharashtra will play a pivotal role in shaping the nation's political trajectory. This electoral outcome is crucial for the BJP-led NDA, aiming for an ambitious target of 45+ seats. Meanwhile, the MVA seeks to retain its stronghold.
The electoral landscape in Maharashtra reflects a transformed political scenario post-Sena and NCP splits. Prominent contests include Sharad Pawar's daughter, Supriya Sule, facing her sister-in-law, Sunetra Pawar, in Baramati. Other key battles feature the BJP's Pankaja Munde against the NCP's Bajrang Sonawane in Beed. In Mumbai, the Shiv Sena and BJP factions are engaged in fierce showdowns, while Ujjwal Nikam of the BJP is contesting against Varsha Gaikwad of the Congress in Mumbai North Central.
It is no secret that the road to Delhi runs through Uttar Pradesh, which sends the most lawmakers to parliament. Polling in the country's largest state took place across all seven phases, with a voter turnout slightly lower than in 2019, at 56.92%, with 80 Lok Sabha seats up for grabs.
The BJP, along with its allies, is vying for a clean sweep, while the opposition INDIA bloc, spearheaded by the Samajwadi Party and Congress, seeks to challenge their dominance. The BSP's decision to go solo this time adds a layer of unpredictability.
The electoral battleground features prominent figures like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, whose political fates hinge on these results.
Notable contests include Rahul Gandhi's bid to secure Rae Bareli, previously held by his mother Sonia Gandhi, and the Yadav family's multiple candidates under the Samajwadi Party banner.
Exit polls have predicted that PM Modi will retain power for a third straight term, with the BJP-led NDA expected to win a big majority. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has dismissed exit poll predictions as biased, branding them "Modi media polls."
The unanimous prediction points to the NDA being closer to Modi's ambitious target of "400 paar" for his alliance than the INDIA bloc is to crossing even the 180 mark, one-third of the total number of seats.
Pollsters have also predicted that the NDA is likely to open its account in Tamil Nadu and Kerala and sweep Karnataka, but may see a fall in its tally in states like Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Haryana. Uttar Pradesh, which sends the most lawmakers to the parliament (80), is expected to remain a BJP bastion.
Many pollsters said the NDA may surpass its 2019 tally of 353 seats. The BJP had won 303 seats in the election. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) won 91 seats (Congress: 53 seats and allies: 38), while other parties won 98 seats.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi braces for a potential third consecutive term as India awaits the outcome of its marathon Lok Sabha elections, culminating in a high-stakes showdown on Tuesday. Modi will equal the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's record of leading his party to three straight electoral victories if the BJP retains power.
The election outcome holds significant implications for India's political landscape, with the ruling BJP seeking to solidify its dominance and the opposition INDIA bloc aiming to stage an upset. The results will not only determine the composition of the next government but also shape the country's trajectory in the years to come.
Exit polls have been, however, unanimous in their prediction that the NDA is closer to realising Modi's ambitious target of "400 paar" for his alliance than the INDIA bloc is to crossing even the 180 mark, one-third of the total number of seats. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has dismissed exit poll predictions as biased, branding them "Modi media polls."
The INDIA bloc has rallied against these perceived biases, urging the Election Commission to ensure fair counting procedures. In response, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused its rivals of destabilising the electoral process, advocating for a peaceful resolution to potential post-election unrest.
INDIA bloc leaders believe that their alliance has been able to shape the poll narrative around its planks of welfarism and an alleged threat to the Constitution from an all-powerful saffron onslaught and will get popular support.
As the final votes are tallied, the spotlight remains on Modi and his party's performance, as well as the broader implications for Indian democracy. The outcome will serve as a litmus test for the BJP's policies and leadership, with the opposition vying to regain lost ground and assert its relevance on the national stage.
An uncertain future also hangs over the fate of the Left, besides many regional parties including the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and YSR Congress, which are in power in West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, respectively.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is expected to win a majority of the seats in the Northeast when the results of Lok Sabha elections are declared on Tuesday.
In 2019, the NDA bagged 19 seats – 14 by BJP and 5 by its allies. The Congress had won four seats. Two seats went to others.
The Northeast went to polls amidst the ethnic conflict between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo tribals in Manipur. There was simmering anger among the voters in the state against the BJP over how it handled the situation. The NDA faced a challenge, particularly in the Meitei-majority Inner Manipur seat which the BJP contested.
The counting will decide the fate of several political biggies in the state including two ex-CMs Shivraj Singh Chouhan (BJP) from his old seat Vidisha and Digvijaya Singh (Congress) from his home seat Rajgarh as well as Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna).
While Chouhan (contesting from Vidisha after two decades) is expected to win by a big margin against Congress veteran Pratap Bhanu Sharma, Singh is stuck in a tough battle against second-time BJP MP Rodmal Nagar from home seat Rajgarh (where he is contesting after 33 years).
Scindia is believed to have an edge against old BJP family scion and Congress candidate Rao Yadvendra Singh Yadav from Guna seat which Scindia had shockingly failed to retain as Congress candidate in 2019.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had won 28 seats with 58% votes, while the Congress with 34.5% votes could just hold on to Kamal Nath’s citadel, Chhindwara, from where his son Nakul Nath won by 37,000-plus votes. Nakul is again in the fray from the same seat. (Read more)
Senior Congress leader and Chhattisgarh's former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday alleged that several Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPAT units were changed after polling in the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat, from where he contested the elections.
However, the returning officer of Rajnandgaon denied any irregularities or mismatch in numbers.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday night alleged that in many districts of Uttar Pradesh, the district magistrate and the police administration are "illegally" putting workers of opposition parties under house arrest so that they cannot participate in the counting of votes.
The entire country is closely watching the developments and the fiercely contested Lok Sabha battle in the land of the medieval Maratha king, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, known for his guerrilla warfare tactics. Maharashtra's diverse regions resemble Europe's variety in dialects and food culture, yet historically, the state has decisively chosen one side in Lok Sabha elections.
Ahead of the results, this analysis examines the factors that could have influenced voter opinion in each region of Maharashtra during this Lok Sabha election.
Today will witness the outcome of a four-cornered contest in Punjab among the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with some seats even witnessing a five-cornered contest. The elections were largely devoid of any significant wave in the state.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, the BJP faced a daunting task. In Haryana, too, where BJP registered a clean sweep in 2019, it was a tight contest between the BJP and Congress.
An analysis of the campaign and the likely outcomes in the three states
Amethi was waiting for Rahul Gandhi. When he decided to make Rae Bareli his second arena, as part of his much-awaited return to north India, it undoubtedly became a bit of a letdown for his supporters.
If insiders are to be believed, INDIA bloc leaders strongly advised the GOP not to let any part of the election become a clash of big names.
‘Avoid Smriti vs Rahul contest’, it was said.
For that would have hogged the headlines, overshadowing all else. It was to be made local—or rather, ‘issue-based’.
Narendra Modi: Prime Minister Modi, is seeking a third term from Varanasi, the constituency that paved his way to the Lok Sabha after his stint as Chief Minister. He is pitted against Congress leader and INDIA bloc candidate Ajay Rai. PM Modi won the seat by huge margins in 2014 and 2019.
Amit Shah: The Union Home Minister entered the Lok Sabha in 2019 from Gandhinagar and is seeking his second straight term from the seat, which has been held by BJP veterans in the past. Shah is pitted against Congress candidate Sonal Patel.
Rahul Gandhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from two seats: Wayanad and Raebareli. Gandhi, who lost the family bastion seat of Amethi in 2019 and entered the Lok Sabha from Wayanad, is aiming to maintain the party's lone bastion left in the state. He is up against the BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh and the BJP's K. Surendran, as well as CPI-M's Annie Raja in Wayanad.
Supriya Sule: The Baramati constituency is another 'hot seat' that will decide the future of the 'Pawar' legacy. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule is against his cousin Ajit Pawar's wife, Sunetra Pawar, from the seat. The exit polls have predicted a tight contest.
Shashi Tharoor: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is a three-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram, is facing a three-way contest against CPI-M's Panniyan Ravindran and BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The exit polls have predicted a tight contest.
K Annamalai: BJP Tamil Nadu chief and rising face in the south, K Annamalai, is aiming to make the party's inroads in the state. Contesting from Coimbatore, the former cop is up against DMK leader Ganapathy P Rajkumar and AIADMK's Singai Ramachandran.
Rajnath Singh: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is seeking a third term from Lucknow. The former Uttar Pradesh CM served as the Home Minister in BJP's first term and Defence Minister in the second term. Singh is facing SP candidate Ravidas Mehrotra and BSP candidate Sarwar Malik.
Abhishek Banerjee: As the BJP is aiming to make further inroads in West Bengal, and TMC is looking to maintain its fortress, TMC general secretary and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek Banerjee is contesting from Diamond Harbour, seeking a second term from the seat. Banerjee is pitted against CPI(M) candidate Pratikur Rahaman and BJP's Abhijit Das.
Akhilesh Yadav: Former Uttar Pradesh CM and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav made a surprise entry in the Lok Sabha polls, announcing his candidature from Kannauj. Yadav, who is an MLA from Karhal assembly constituency, is facing incumbent MP and BJP leader Subrat Pathak.
Asaduddin Owaisi: The Hyderabad constituency is bracing for a big showdown with four-time MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi facing a challenge against BJP candidate and actor-turned-politician Madhavi Latha.
The Lok Sabha elections for 543 seats in the lower house were held across seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on Tuesday, June 4. The Bharatiya Janata Party is eyeing a third straight term in power, while the opposition, under the umbrella of the INDIA bloc, is seeking to wrest power from the ruling party.
Counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections began on Tuesday morning across states and Union Territories.
While the Lok Sabha has 543 members, counting is being held for 542 seats after the BJP's Surat candidate, Mukesh Dalal, was elected unopposed.
According to the Conduct of Election Rules, postal ballots will be counted first and the process of counting of votes recorded in electronic voting machines (EVMs) will begin 30 minutes later.
The process of counting votes cast through postal ballots and EVMs will continue simultaneously.
Counting of votes is also underway for the assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, where polling was held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections.
As the counting of postal ballots commences, initial indicators suggest the BJP-led NDA leads the opposition's INDIA bloc in several constituencies. It's crucial to note that these are preliminary trends, with only postal ballots under consideration.
In Madhya Pradesh, initial trends in 21 out of 29 constituencies show that the BJP is leading in 20, while Congress is leading in 1.
In Chhindwara, the only seat in the state held by Congress, incumbent MP Nakul Nath, son of Kamal Nath, is trailing.
Here are some key battles to look for:
Bhopal Alok Sharma (BJP/NDA) vs Arun Shrivastav (INC/INDIA)
Chhindwara Nakul Nath (INC/INDIA) vs Vivek Bunty Sahu (BJP/NDA)
Guna Jyotiraditya Scindia (BJP/NDA) vs Rao Yadvendra Singh (INC/INDA)
Gwalior Bharat Singh Kushwah (BJP/NDA) vs Praveen Pathak (INC/INDIA)
Rajgarh Rodmal Nagar (BJP/NDA) vs Digvijaya Singh (INC/INDIA)
Sidhi Rajesh Mishra (BJP/NDA) vs Kamleshwar Patel (INC/INDIA)
Vidisha Shivraj Singh Chouhan (BJP/NDA) vs Pratap Bhanu Sharma (INC/INDIA)
In Assam, the BJP leads with 4 seats, while the Congress follows with 2. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal (BJP) leads in Assam's Dibrugarh constituency.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP leads in both seats.
In Manipur, the Naga People’s Front leads in 1 out of 2 seats.
Zoram People’s Movement is ahead in Mizoram’s lone seat, while Sikkim Krantikari Morcha leads in Sikkim’s solitary seat.
Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party leads in Nagaland’s lone seat
Former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb leads in Tripura West seat.
Initial trends in 35 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar show the NDA leading in 29 and the INDIA bloc in 9.
Union Minister and BJP candidate Giriraj Singh is leading in the Begusarai seat, while RJD candidate and Lalu Prasad's eldest daughter, Misa Bharti, is leading in Patliputra.
In Rajasthan's 25 seats, the BJP leads in 14 constituencies, while the Congress leads in 10 constituencies.
Independent candidate Ravinder Bhati leads Union Minister Kailash Choudhary in the Barmer Lok Sabha constituency.
Lok Sabha Spaekar Om Birla is leading in the Kota seat, while Vaibhav Gehlot is trailing in the Jalore seat.
In some eyebrow-raising news, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trailing Congress' Ajay Rai in Varanasi as per early trends.
Similarly, Union Minister Smriti Irani is trailing Congress' KL Sharma by 395 votes. BJP leaders Maneka Gandhi and Mahendra Nath Pandey are currently trailing in Sultanpur and Chandauli, respectively.
In Uttar Pradesh, the NDA leads in 46 seats, while INDIA bloc leads in 30.
Assam: BJP 5, Congress 1, BPF 1, Independent 1
Arunachal: BJP 2
Manipur: BJP 1, NPF 1
Tripura: BJP 2
Meghalaya: Congress 1, VPP 1
Mizoram: ZPM 1
Nagaland: NDPP 1
Sikkim: SKM 1
India’s equity market fell sharply on election result day as soon as the bell rang. The sharp fall in local equities came even as early trends showed a lead for the BJP-led NDA alliance.
However, early trends also showed that the opposition INDIA bloc’s seat tally could be ahead of what exit polls had predicted.
In the state of Uttar Pradesh, which holds significant sway with its 80 MPs in parliament, an intense electoral battle looms as early trends show the INDIA bloc, comprising allies Samajwadi Party and Congress, challenging the BJP-led NDA despite earlier exit polls predicting a decisive victory for the latter.
The latest trend reveals the NDA leading in 42 seats, with the INDIA bloc closely behind, leading in 37 seats, and other parties leading in one seat.
The Samajwadi Party, in particular, is putting up an eye-catching performance by leading in 30 seats.
On the eve of the results, SP chief Akhilesh raised doubts about the reliability of exit polls and reiterated that internal surveys of the Samajwadi Party suggested that the INDIA bloc was likely to secure the majority of seats in Uttar Pradesh. Read Akhliesh's candid response here
In Kerala, the INDIA bloc is asserting dominance as predicted by the exit polls, with the UDF leading in 17 seats. However, the ruling LDF has a solitary lead in Alathur.
Meanwhile, the BJP-led NDA is on the verge of making inroads into Kerala with leads in 2 seats. Actor Suresh Gopi has taken a significant lead in Thrissur, while MoS Rajiv Chandrashekar leads in Thiruvananthapuram against Congress' Shashi Tharoor and CPM's Pannyan Raveendran.
#ResultsWithTNIE #LokSabha#Kerala
— Sovi Vidyadharan (@sovividyadharan) June 4, 2024
MARGINS OF CANDIDATES AT 10.30 AM
KERALA - TOTAL SEATS - 20
Constituency - Leading Candidate - Party / Front - Margin
1. Alappuzha - K. C VENUGOPAL - UDF - 13651
2. Alathur - K.RADHAKRISHNAN - LDF - 7649@xpresskerala @NewIndianXpress
In Tamil Nadu, the ruling DMK-led INDIA bloc is poised for another strong performance, leading in 36 seats.
However, in the highly anticipated Coimbatore contest, BJP state president K Annamalai is currently trailing behind DMK's Ganapathi P Rajkumar.
In Dharmapuri, PMK's Sowmiya Anbumani, the NDA candidate and wife of Anbumani Ramadoss, is leading by 15,000.
#ResultsWithTNIE | DMK-led #INDIAbloc is leading in 36 seats in Tamil Nadu.
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) June 4, 2024
LIVE: https://t.co/zgko40RCJK pic.twitter.com/GQ8nNyvNOW
In West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress is leading in 29 seats, while the BJP only leads in 10 seats, despite a high-pitched campaign led by PM Modi and Amit Shah.
However, the alliance of Congress and left parties are on course for a poor showing, with them leading in just three seats.
This comes as the exit polls had predicted a slump for the ruling TMC and significant gains for the BJP.
In the race for Karnataka's 28 seats, the BJP leads in 17 seats, Congress leads in 8 seats and JD(S) in 3 seats.
In Bangalore Rural, BJP candidate Dr N Manjunath Prasad, son-in-law of former Prime Minister and JDS supremo HD Devegowda, leading against Congress candidate DK Suresh by 83,332 votes.
In Bangalore South, BJP candidate Tejasvi Surya is leading with 181,817 votes against Congress candidate Sowmya Reddy, daughter of Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who has secured 92,419 votes.
In Bangalore North, BJP MP Shoba Karndlaje, facing tough competition, leads Congress candidate Rajeev Gowda by 158,314 votes.
In Hassan, arrested MP and JD(S) candidate Prajwal Revanna, contesting on the NDA ticket, leading despite facing SIT inquiry in a sexual assault case.
In Haveri, the BJP's former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is leading with 11,000 votes.
In Mysore, BJP candidate Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar is leading against Congress candidate M Lakshmana by 272,832 votes.
In Shimoga, BJP rebel candidate KS Eshwarappa is trailing as an independent candidate, while BJP candidate BY Raghavendra, son of former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, leads by 253,212 votes.
On expected lines, the BJP is poised to continue its dominance in Gujarat, with Congress managing to make the race interesting by leading in the solitary seat of Patan.
However, it has been smooth sailing for the BJP in other constituencies, with 9 of its candidates leading by a margin of over one lakh votes.
Home Minister Amit Shah holds a lead of 3,83,000 votes, a significant margin secured by the conclusion of the ninth round of counting. With 13 to 14 rounds of counting still pending, Amit Shah is expected to win with a lead of 8 to 9 lakhs, possibly making him the top candidate in the country.
BJP candidate and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya leads in the Porbandar Lok Sabha constituency by 1,03,080 votes. Two rounds of vote counting have been completed for this seat.
BJP State President CR Patil is leading in the Navsari seat by 1,40,000 votes. Congress candidate Naishad Desai has conceded defeat to Patil.
Desai remarked, "The organisation of Congress here was weak. I knew six months ago that I would lose."
The only seat where Congress is leading is Patan. Congress candidate Chandanji is leading by 20,372 votes in the Patan Lok Sabha constituency.
Chandanji maintains the lead at the conclusion of 6 rounds of counting.
In Uttarakhand, BJP candidates hold leads across all five seats.
In Pauri, BJP candidate Anil Baluni maintains a lead of 88,389 votes over his closest rival, Congress' Ganesh Godiyal, securing 137,744 votes.
Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister from BJP, Trivendra Singh Rawat, leads in Haridwar with 128,562 votes, surpassing Congress' Veerendra Rawat.
In the Tehri constituency, BJP's Mala Rajya Lakshmi Shah leads by 58,000 votes, with independent candidate Bobby Pawar in second place and Congress in third.
In Nainital, the BJP's Minister of State for Defence, Ajay Bhatt, holds a commanding lead of 182,000 votes.
On the Almora seat, BJP's Ajay Tamta leads by 95,000 votes over Congress' Pradeep Tamta.
In the contest for Punjab's 13 Lok Sabha seats, Congress is currently leading in 7 seats, while its INDIA bloc ally, AAP, which went solo, is leading in 3 seats. The Shiromani Akali Dal is leading only in Bathinda, the constituency of the party's incumbent MP, Harsimrat Kaur, wife of Sukhbir Badal. The BJP is trailing in all seats.
The biggest shock in Punjab comes from jailed Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh, who is leading as an independent candidate from the Khadoor Sahib seat.
Punjab leads: INC 7; AAP 3; SAD 1; IND 2
After seven rounds of counting, BJP candidates are leading in all seven seats in Delhi. The BJP's Manoj Tiwari is leading in North East Delhi by more than 45,000 votes.
Meanwhile, the Congress party’s Jai Prakash Agarwal is giving a tough fight to Praveen Khandelwal from Chandni Chowk constituency.
The latest vote share is as follows:
BJP at 54%, AAP at 26%, and Congress at 17%.
Among INDIA bloc parties, SP is leading in 34 seats; Congress leads 7 and Azad Samaj Party's Chandrashekhar Azad leading in Nagina. For the NDA, the BJP leads in 36 seats, while the RLD leads in 2 seats. Meanwhile, the BSP which went solo, has failed to open its account.
Rahul Gandhi has taken a dominant lead in Raebareli by a margin of over one lakh votes. After trailing initially, PM Modi now leads UPCC chief Ajay Rai by over 75,000 votes in Varanasi.
Four union ministers, including Smriti Irani, Ajay Mishra Teni, Kaushal Kishor and Sanjeev Balyan, are all trailing.
On the eve of the results, SP chief Akhilesh raised doubts about the reliability of exit polls and reiterated that internal surveys of the Samajwadi Party suggested that the INDIA bloc was likely to secure the majority of seats in Uttar Pradesh.
The importance of being Akhilesh Yadav in this election
Any discussion around the Lok Sabha election has to begin with Uttar Pradesh. The 80 seats in the state that has given India nine prime ministers till date are where any serious poll calculation begins.
While the Congress has little say in driving the campaign in the state, Akhilesh has the opportunity to make it work for himself and his party. This is especially so because of his appeal as the CM behind the first expressway in UP, the launch of the Lucknow Metro and the distribution of free laptops to meritorious students.
Early trends in Tamil Nadu showed that the INDIA bloc, led by the DMK in the state, was leading in 37 of the 39 Lok Sabha constituencies.
In the keenly watched constituency of Coimbatore, BJP state president K Annamalai was trailing behind the DMK candidate.
Sowmiya Anbumani of the PMK, which is part of the BJP-led NDA, was ahead in Dharmapuri with a comfortable lead of over 16,000 votes.
Late actor and DMDK founder Vijayakanth's son Vijaya Prabhakaran of DMDK, part of the AIADMK-led alliance, was leading in Virudhunagar.
The AIADMK began with a thin lead in Kallakurichi and Namakkal earlier, but the trend then reversed, with the DMK leading in these two constituencies by over 6,000 and 4,000 votes, respectively.
The race for Haryana's 10 Lok Sabha seats puts the ruling BJP and the Congress on level terms, with each party leading in 5 seats.
In terms of vote share, both parties are neck to neck. The BJP which contested in all 10 seats has a vote share of 45.41%, while the Congress which contested in only 9 seats recorded a vote share of 45.80%.
Maharashtra, which sends the second-most number of MPs, has seen the dominance of the MVA-turned-INDIA bloc allies, with the coalition leading in 28 of the state's 48 Lok Sabha seats.
Congress has seen a resurgence, leading in 11 seats, while the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) leads in 9 seats and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP) leading in 7 seats.
On the other hand, the NDA leads in 20 seats, with the BJP carrying 12 of those. Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal were leading in the Nagpur and Mumbai North Lok Sabha seats, while their colleague Raosaheb Danve had a slender lead in Jalna.
However, the turncoat factions of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP are leading in just 7 seats and 1 seat, respectively.
In Baramati, NCP (SP) candidate Supriya Sule, who has been in a neck-to-neck fight with NCP's Sunetra Pawar, is now leading by over 17,000 votes.
Meanwhile, Independent Vishal Patil, who rebelled against the Congress to contest from Sangli, had established a comfortable lead.
JD(S) leader and NDA candidate Prajwal Revanna lost the Lok Sabha election in Hassan, which is the home turf of former Prime Minister and JDS Supremo HD Devegowda.
Prajwal, who is jailed over charges of sexual assault, lost to Congress candidate Shreyas Patel by a margin of over 43,000 votes.
Interestingly, Hassan also witnessed the highest NOTA votes for the first time in the constituency's history.
#ResultsWithTNIE | #Hassan MP and sexual assault case accused #PrajwalRevanna faces defeat with a margin of 43588 votes. pic.twitter.com/vAqQyfpySE
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) June 4, 2024
While the UDF is on course to walk away with 17 seats, its the BJP which is has caught the headlines in God's own country.
The saffron party is poised to expand its presence in the state through its Thrissur candidate and actor Suresh Gopi, who is expected to secure victory in the constituency.
Simultaneously, a tight contest unfolds between the BJP's Rajeev Chandrashekar and Congress' incumbent MP Shashi Tharoor as they vie for control over the state's capital.
In this election, top BJP leaders like Amit Shah and political strategists like Prashant Kishor have been saying that the party will win their first Lok Sabha seat in Kerala. And now, the state with the highest density of RSS shakhas might finally have a seat to show for the saffron outfit.
#ResultsWithTNIE | 'Garuda' glides into God's own country, carrying lotus as #SureshGopi establishes a big lead in #Thrissur. @MSKiranPrakash @santwana99 @pendown pic.twitter.com/9aNQ2UVTsb
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) June 4, 2024
Former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah of the National Conference (NC) and Mehbooba Mufti of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) have conceded defeat.
Omar has conceded defeat to jailed ex-MLA and Independent candidate Sheikh Er Rashid, who is leading by over 1.44 lakhs in the Baramulla seat.
Mehbooba has conceded defeat to NC’s Mian Altaf, who is leading by over 2.33 lakh votes in the Anantnag–Rajouri seat.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah secured a landslide victory in Gujarat's Gandhinagar LS seat, defeating Congress candidate Sonal Patel by over 6 lakh votes.
In a notable upset for the Daman Diu Lok Sabha seat, independent candidate Umesh Babubhai Patel clinched a decisive victory by a margin of 6,226 votes. BJP candidate Lalbhai Patel, who had won the seat three consecutive times, suffered a significant defeat.
Two out of three Union ministers from West Bengal in the outgoing central government were trailing, albeit not by a large number, as counting for the general elections progressed on Tuesday, as per the ECI data.
BJP candidate Subhas Sarkar, Union Minister of State for Education, was trailing in the Bankura constituency to his nearest rival, Arup Chakraborty of the Trinamool Congress, by 14,932 votes.
The saffron party's Nisith Pramanik, the Union Minister of State for Home, was trailing by 7,339 votes to his nearest rival, Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia of the TMC, in the Cooch Behar seat.
Union Minister of State Shantanu Thakur, BJP's candidate from Bangaon, was leading by 34,464 votes over TMC's Biswajit Das in the constituency.
The ruling Congress and BJP continued their lead in eight seats each out of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, as per the latest trends.
The Congress nominees were leading in Peddapalle (SC), Mahabubabad (ST), Warangal (SC), Bhongir, Khammam, Nalgonda, Nagarkurnool (SC) and Zaheerabad, according to Election Commission website.
The BJP candidates were leading in Adilabad (ST), Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak, Secunderabad, Malkajgiri, Chevella and Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha seats.
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi maintained his lead over his nearest BJP rival K Madhavi Latha with a margin of over 1.89 lakh votes.
The BRS was not leading in any of the seats.
Relatives, sons and son-in-law are set to win Lok Sabha elections in the state, indicating the loyalty of the voters.
The constituencies where the candidates whose family members were in active politics and they were contesting were Shimoga, Bangalore Rural, Bidar, Chikkodi, Hassan, Gulbarga, Chamarajanagar and Mandya.
In Bangalore Rural, contesting on the BJP ticket, the son-in-law of JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister HD Devegowda defeated DK Suresh, brother of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, by an impressive 10,09,162 votes.
Moreover, in Mandya, the son of former Prime Minister HD Devegowda and former Chief Minister of Karnataka, HD Kumaraswamy, commands a lead of 8,45,769 votes.
Congress supporters began celebrations as their candidate Priyanka Satish Jarkiholi secured victory in Chikkodi, triumphing over BJP contender Annasaheb Shankar Jolle by a substantial margin of 455,334 votes.
In Bidar, Sagar Eshwar Khandre, son of Forest, Environment, and Ecology Minister Eshwar Khandre, running on a Congress ticket, maintains the lead against BJP leader Bhagwanth Khuba by over 6 lakh votes.
In Gulbarga, Radharkrishna, the son-in-law of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, is seen leading against BJP candidate Umesh G Jadhav with a margin of 612,645 votes.
In Chamarajanagar, Sunil Bose, son of Congress leader Mahadevappa, maintains a lead against BJP candidate Balaraj S by a significant margin of 420,268 votes.
Samajwadi Party candidate Awadhesh Prasad, the nine-time MLA, has been leading over BJP sitting MP Lallu Singh in the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat by over 9000 votes, as per ECI.
The temple town of Ayodhya, which falls under this seat, is considered to be the nerve centre of the BJP's Hindutva politics.
Faizabad had been favouring the BJP for the last two terms in the Lok Sabha. This time, the SP, following its PDA plank, fielded Awadhesh Kumar, a Dalit, on the general seat.
In January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had led the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, an event that was seen as fetching electoral gains for the BJP not only in Ayodhya but across the country.
Significantly, the BJP's campaign in UP focused on a dominant Ram temple narrative seeking electoral benefit. However, the poll outcome reflects that the temple issue had hardly any traction on the ground in UP.
Gujarat Congress president Shakti Sinh Gohil has asserted that the BJP's winning streak in Gujarat has been halted, citing Congress candidate Ganiben Thakor's imminent victory in the Banaskantha seat with a margin of over 23,00 votes. Notably, the BJP had swept all 26 seats in Gujarat in 2014 and 2019.
Bollywood actress and BJP candidate Kangana Ranaut wins from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh, defeating Vikramaditya Singh of Congress. The BJP is also on course to secure the state's all four seats.
#ResultsWithTNIE | #Mandi tumukuda as 'Queen' #KanganaRanaut wins by over 70,000 votes.@santwana99 @Harpreet_TNIE pic.twitter.com/VQ99OR8KPM
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) June 4, 2024
Manish Tewari of the Congress wins the lone Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat by a slender margin of over 3,000 votes. The Congress leader contested as the INDIA bloc candidate with the backing of the AAP to beat the BJP's Sanjay Tandon.
#ResultsWithTNIE | Congress' #ManishTewari has won #Chandigarh seat by over 3,000 votes.@santwana99 @Harpreet_TNIE
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) June 4, 2024
LIVE: https://t.co/zgko40RCJK pic.twitter.com/DNbsnaKhPf
Rahul defeated BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh by a margin 4 lakh votes. The Congress MP who was also contesting from Wayanad in Kerala is leading by a margin of over 3.5 lakh votes.
Meanwhile, Congress regained its citadel of Amethi as party candidate KL Sharma defeated Union Minister and BJP candidate Smriti Irani by a margin of over 1 lakh votes.
#ResultsWithTNIE | Congress' #RahulGandhi wins #RaeBareli with a huge margin. Union Minister #SmritiIrani loses to #KishoriLalSharma. @santwana99 @Namita_TNIE
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) June 4, 2024
LIVE: https://t.co/zgko40RCJK pic.twitter.com/YjfQlgbZc5
#ResultsWithTNIE | Lotus blooms in Kerala!
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) June 4, 2024
BJP's #SureshGopi wins in #Thrissur with a margin of 75,000 votes. @xpresskerala @MSKiranPrakash @santwana99 pic.twitter.com/IyzMaQqX4D
On a day when the BJP suffered major reverses in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, the neighbouring MP emerged as the brightest spot for the ruling party, which blanked the prime opposition Congress in the neighbouring MP’s 29 seats.
The BJP was leading on all 29 seats with massive and comfortable margins.
While all the BJP biggies, including former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia, Dr Virendra Khatik, Faggan Singh Kulaste, state party chief VD Sharma were leading by big margins from their respective seats, the Congress biggies have been left stunned by the continuance of the saffron surge.
"We have been, formerly, in alliance with both Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu. We know they share a dislike for vendetta politics which the BJP stands for. Narendra Modi seems to be on his way out. We are hopeful that the two leaders will play a crucial role in the change of guard at the Centre," RJD national spokesperson Manoj Kumar Jha told reporters here.
"I am making no appeal to Nitish Kumar or Chandrababu Naidu. I am only expressing my hope, given the understanding I have of their temperament," Jha added.
The Faizabad constituency covers Ayodhya and the Ram Temple. The defeat is a blow to the saffron party as it was banking on the Ram Temple consecration for its big win.
#ResultsWithTNIE | Hey Ram! BJP's Lallu Singh loses in #Ayodhya's Faizabad to SP's #AwadheshPrasad.
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) June 4, 2024
LIVE: https://t.co/zgko40RCJK@Namita_TNIE @santwana99 pic.twitter.com/MPj16fc9dF
The former Karnataka CM won the Mandya seat in Karnataka with a margin of 2,84,620 votes.
Kumaraswamy defeated Venkataramane Gowda (also known as Star Chandru) of the Congress.
According to the Election Commission, Kumaraswamy secured 8,51,881 votes, while Gowda got 5,67,261.
JD(S) fought the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with BJP in the State.
With BJP retaining the Chitradurga parliamentary constituency, the jinx of winning and losing the elections is broken for the first time since the delimitation of the constituency was done in 2009.
Former DCM Govinda M Karjol from the Madiga community won and retained the constituency for BJP.
Karjol who secured 6,84,890 votes defeated the KPCC working president and former MP BN Chandrappa by a margin of 48,121 votes. Chandrappa lost with 6,36,769 votes.
The NDA looks all set to win most of the seats in the Northeast but it showing won't be as good as in 2019.
According to the latest updates, the BJP and allies were leading in 15 of them. The Congress was leading in 8 while others were leading in 2.
In Assam, the BJP was leading in eight seats, allies Asom Gana Parishad and United People’s Party Liberal in 1 each. The Congress was leading in four.
The BJP is also likely to win the four seats in Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.
In Arunachal, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju (Arunachal West) and BJP MP Tapir Gao (Arunachal East) were maintaining steady leads.
BJP’s Tripura East candidate Kriti Devi Debbarman defeats CPM’s Rajendra Reang by a margin of 4,86,819 votes. Congress’ Saleng A Sangma defeats sitting MP Agatha Sangma of NPP in Tura seat by a margin of 1,55,241 votes.
Ex-Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan wins from Vidisha seat by a big nargin of over 8.20 lakh votes.
This is his sixth win from the central MP seat since 1991.
Supriya Sule, the seating MP from Baramati defeated the wife of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar Sunetra Pawar by a margin of over 1 lakh votes.
#ResultsWithTNIE | Three-time MP and NCP (SP) leader #SupriyaSule wins from the #Baramati Lok Sabha seat against her cousin's wife, NCP's Sunetra Pawar.
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) June 4, 2024
Live: https://t.co/5wZtP1kBR1 pic.twitter.com/O6Wpihm7SA
The DMK-led INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu may sweep all the 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu with the DMK and Congress respectively gaining a lead against the PMK and DMDK candidates in Dharmapuri and Virudhunagar constituencies.
While the PMK’s Sowmiya Anbumani was maintaining a fairly comfortable lead in the morning, it narrowed as the day progressed and the DMK’s A Mani overtook her later in the afternoon. He is now maintaining a lead of over 15,000 votes.
At 4 p.m, the DMDK’s Vijayaprabhakaran, son of party founder and late actor Vijayakanth, is trailing behind Congress’s Manickam Tagore by just around 600 votes
"We have stopped Narendra Modi in Maharashtra. Narendra Modi should concede defeat as people have rejected his government," the Sena (UBT) leader said.
According to the latest Election Commission data, the BJP was leading in 233 seats and had won ten seats across the country.
The Congress-led INDIA bloc was leading in 200 seats in early trends, a performance that appeared much better than what was predicted in the exit polls.
Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni has lost his bid for a third term in the Lok Sabha from the Kheri Lok Sabha seat by a margin of about 33,198 votes.
Mishra was defeated by Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Utkarsh Verma Madhur.
The Congress, historically strong in Kheri with nine previous wins, did not field a candidate this time due to its alliance with the SP.
Thanking Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, the MLAs, BJP workers and the public for electing her, Kangana said the credit for her win goes to Prime Minister Modi.
Kangana said the public has voted against the family legacy and in favour of the common man, adding she will work wholeheartedly for the people of Mandi.
Chowdhury, as per ECI data, was trailing with almost 60,000 votes behind Trinamool Congress's star candidate and cricketer-turned-politician Yusuf Pathan even as counting drew to a near close.
Owing to Chowdhury's possible defeat in the Baharampur parliamentary seat, among the last-standing perceived Congress fortresses of the state, this would be the first time that Trinamool Congress would have its flag grafted and flying from the region.
Amid speculations over Nitish Kumar-led JD(U)'s next move in the wake of vote counting trends, senior party leader K C Tyagi on Tuesday said they are in the NDA and "we will be in the NDA".
"It is our final decision," Tyagi told PTI Videos here when asked about suggestions that the JD(U) may go back to the INDIA bloc.
According to the latest counting trends, the BJP is set to emerge as the single-largest party but will fall short of majority on its won.
It'd need the support of its NDA allies to form a government.
There were suggestions in certain quarters that JD(U) might go back to the INDIA bloc which has registered an improved performance.
But Tyagi said there should an end to any such rumours.
"It is our final decision. We are in the NDA and we will be in the NDA)," Tyagi told PTI Videos here when asked about the speculation.
Sitting MP and BJP leader Kalaben Delkar defeated his rival from Congress Ajit Mahala by a margin of 57,000 votes.
In Haveri, former BJP CM Basavaraj Bommai won with a margin of 43,513 seats. In Dharwad BJP’s Pralhad Joshi won for the fifth time with a margin of 97324 votes. In Uttara Kannada, Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri won with the highest margin in the state of 337428 votes.
According to political experts the internal bickering in the Congress party has worked in favour of JD(S) candidate Mallesh Babu this election.
In Gulbarga, Congress was able to save its position. As AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge’s son-in-law Radhakrishna won by a margin of 27,205 votes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi won the Varanasi seat for the third consecutive term by defeating Congress candidate Ajay Rai.
The victory margin of Modi this time is 1,52,513, which is less than his victory margins of 2019 and 2014.
In 2019, Modi's victory margin was 4,79,505.
He defeated SP's Shalini Yadav that time while Congress' Ajay Rai was the runner up.
In 2014, Modi had won by a margin of 3,71,784 votes when he defeated AAP's Arvind Kejriwal.
This time, the BJP leaders were claiming that PM Modi's victory margin will create a record.
SKM candidate Indra Hang Subba on Tuesday won the lone Lok Sabha seat in Sikkim, defeating his nearest rival Bharat Basnett of the Citizen Action Party (CAP-Sikkim) by 80,830 votes.
The 35-year-old sitting MP polled 1,64,396 votes, while Basnett bagged 83,566.
"Congratulations to the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji and the NDA on their remarkable victory in the 18th Lok Sabha elections. The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) Party fully supports the NDA for the development and prosperity of our country," SKM chief P S Tamang said on X.
Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) candidate PD Rai stood third with 77,171 votes.
BJP's Dinesh Chandra Nepal came fifth with 19,035 votes, less than what Independent candidate Laten Tshering Sherpa bagged- 21,263 votes.
BJP candidate and Union minister Shripad Naik registered his sixth consecutive victory from the North Goa Lok Sabha constituency in Goa, while war veteran Viriato Fernandes of the Congress defeated his nearest rival from the ruling saffron party.
Naik won the seat by a margin of 1,13,621 votes as he polled 2,53,812 votes and defeated his nearest rival Ramakant Khalap, a Congress nominee who polled 1,40,191 votes.
Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) candidate from North Goa, Tukaram Parab, received 45,460 votes.
The South Goa seat was closely contested with Congress candidate Fernandes defeating his nearest rival and entrepreneur Pallavi Dempo by a margin of 14,216 votes.
Fernandes, a Navy official-turned-politician, got 2,16,022 votes as against the 2,01,806 votes won by Dempo.
The Congress chief said the people have not given clear mandate to any party; mandate is against Narendra Modi.
Speaking to the reporters, Kharge said that it's a victory of democracy.
"We humbly accept the mandate of the people. This is a loss for PM Modi," he added.
From start to finish our campaign was positive. The government machinery created obstacles in our path. They froze our bank accounts. We fought the elections based on issues of inflation and unemployment but the PM was spreading false narratives, Kharge said.
Samajwadi Party candidate Dimple Yadav won from the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 2,21,639 votes, defeating her nearest rival BJP's Jaiveer Singh.
While Dimple got 5,98,526 votes, Singh got 3,76,887 votes.
The BJP won eight Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan and was leading on six out of the 25 parliamentary constituencies in the state.
Of the remaining seats, INDIA bloc partners Congress and CPI(M) won one seat each.
While the Congress was ahead on seven seats, the BAP and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party were leading on one seat each.
The results of 10 Lok Sabha seats have been declared so far.
BJP candidates who have been declared victorious are Arjun Ram Meghwal from Bikaner, Dushyant Singh from Jhalawar-Baran, Manju Sharma from Jaipur, Bhagirath Choudhary from Ajmer, Lumbaram from Jalore, Mahima Kumari Mewar from Rajsamand, Damodar Agarwal from Bhilwara and Manna Lal Rawat from Udaipur.
Congress candidate Gurjeet Singh Aujla won from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, defeating AAP candidate Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, according to the Election Commission of India.
Aujla, the sitting MP, won by a margin of 40,301 votes.
Two-time BJP MP Heena Gavit on Tuesday lost to Congress's Gowaal Padavi by a margin of more than 1.5 lakh votes from the Nandurbar Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra.
Padavi, an advocate, polled 7,45,998 votes, while Gavit got 5,86,878 votes.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Ananda Koli got 10,644 votes.
West Bengal CM and TMC supremo whose party has swept the LS polls in Bengal leading in 30 seats out of 42, said that the opposition has broken BJP's back.
She said that BJP is using TDP and JDU as its crutches. The veteran politician further said that she doesn't accept the results of Bihar as NDA's win.
Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday won from his traditional Guna Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh with a margin of 5,40,929 votes, defeating Congress's Yadvendra Rao Deshraj Singh.
Scindia, a former Congress leader, won on the BJP ticket for the first time.
He polled 9,23,302 votes while his Congress rival received 3,82,373 votes, the Election Commission data showed.
Scindia, currently a BJP member of the Rajya Sabha, had won from Guna as a Congress candidate in 2002, 2004, 2009 and 2014.
BJP sitting MP D Arvind retained the Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat in Telangana with a margin of over one lakh votes, defeating his nearest Congress rival T Jeevan Reddy on Tuesday.
Arvind secured 5,92,318 votes, while Jeevan Reddy got 4,83,077 votes.
Congress nominee G Vami Krishna won the Peddapalle LS constituency by defeating his BJP rival Srinivas Gomase by 1,31,364 votes.
BJP National Yuva Morcha President and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya defeated Congress's Sowmya Reddy by a huge margin of 2.65 lakh plus votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Surya who walked out the counting centre was carried on their shoulder by party workers and MLAs Sateesh Reddy, CK Ramamurthy and Ravi Subramanya.
Speaking to the media, he thanked PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, former CM BS Yediyurappa, R Ashoka, V Somanna and others. The MP said that the BJP also got leads from Congress bastions-- Vijaynagar, Govindraj Nagar and BTM Layout.
#ResultsWithTNIE | #BJP National Yuva Morcha President and Bengaluru South MP #TejasviSurya defeated #Congress's #SowmyaReddy by a huge m
