Riding on a strong performance in game-changing states, the Congress today powered the UPA for another term in office with the coalition close to majority in the Lok Sabha without the need for allies like the Left parties.
With allies DMK and Trinamool Congress, who have done exceedingly well, the Congress-led UPA is poised to get 257 seats, just 15 short of the 272 mark. At the time of filing this report, the alliance had already bagged 183 seats.
The NDA led by BJP was far behind with a lead in only 165 seats (of which it had won 120 seats).
BJP ally Shiv Sena has won 3 seats and was ahead in 8 while other allies Akali Dal was ahead in 4. Its another ally RLD has one one seat and was ahead in four.
The Third Front, including the Left parties, was ahead in 79 constituencies while the Fourth Front comprising RJD and SP was leading in 26 seats.
On its road to victory, the Congress humbled the Left Front in its bastions of West Bengal and Kerala and put up an impressive showing in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu that vastly tilted the scales in favour of the UPA. The party also did well in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana.