 "Lok Sabha polls 2024: This is what the results look like at 2 pm on June 4")
After seven-phase voting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the electoral arena is now abuzz with anticipation. A total of 8,360 candidates are awaiting the outcome of their efforts to secure victory in the parliamentary constituencies they contested.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is aiming for a solid comeback, surpassing its 2019 performance when it won 303 seats. The counting of votes has started amid tight security.
The 2 pm trends show that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has crossed the majority mark of 272, and currently stands at 300.
The 1 pm trends show that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has crossed the majority mark of 289. As of 11 am, the NDA was leading in 292 seats, indicating a possible coalition government. By 12 noon, the BJP alone was leading in more than 200 seats, while the opposition Congress had slipped below the 100-seat mark.
In Chhattisgarh, the BJP has maintained an impressive lead in 10 out of 11 Lok Sabha seats in the state, as per 2 pm trends.
The Congress has managed a lead only in the Korba seat, where its sitting MP Jyotsna Mahant, wife of the incumbent leader of Opposition Charandas Mahant, was leading by a margin of 8,304 votes over the BJP’s influential woman leader Saroj Pandey.
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Counting of votes began at 33 centres at 8 am on Tuesday, and postal ballots were counted in the first half an hour.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has crossed Sonia Gandhi’s 2019 victory margin from the Rae Bareli constituency and is now leading by 2,27,535 votes against his nearest rival BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh.
In Himachal Pradesh, Congress candidates are ahead in four assembly bypoll seats in Himachal Pradesh, while two of the six Congress rebels who are now BJP candidates are leading from their respective seats, as per Election Commission trends.
All six seats in the state are seeing a close contest, according to EC trends. BJP candidates from Kutlehar and Gagret, Davinder Bhutto and Chaitanya Sharma, are trailing by 4,272 votes and 7,970 votes, respectively.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are leading from their Varanasi and Lucknow Lok Sabha seats, respectively. PM Modi is leading by a margin of 127,584 votes. Trailing behind him is Congress’ Ajay Rai.
However, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani and Union Heavy Industries Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey are trailing from Amethi and Chandauli, respectively.
Voting for 543 Lok Sabha seats took place between April 19 and June 1, with each seat electing one representative to the Lower House of Parliament. A party or coalition requires a majority of 272 seats to form the government.
This year’s Lok Sabha elections were the second-longest since India’s first election in 1951-52. Election trends typically become apparent within an hour of counting, with clear results expected by the afternoon of the counting day. Poll officials have stated that the counting of electronic voting machine (EVM) votes will commence 30 minutes after the postal ballot count.
The BJP has set ambitious targets this time, aiming for 370 seats for itself and 400 seats for the NDA. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP’s primary campaigner, participated in over 200 public meetings, including rallies and roadshows.
The Congress, weakened by electoral losses and defections, is part of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, challenging the BJP. The INDIA bloc’s campaign included joint rallies by various Opposition leaders.