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As the counting of votes for the 18th Lok Sabha elections commenced on Tuesday, the early trends reveal a competitive race. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aims to surpass its 2019 performance, where it secured 303 seats. However, the initial trends suggest that the BJP might fall short of the 272-seat threshold required to form the government independently. As of 11 am, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is leading in 292 seats, indicating a possible coalition government. By 12 pm, the BJP alone was leading in more than 200 seats, while the opposition Congress had slipped below the 100-seat mark.
Lok Sabha seat leads: Party-wise list
BJP: Leading in 236 seats
Congress: Leading in 98 seats
Samajwadi Party (SP): Leading in 34 seats
Trinamool Congress (TMC): Leading in 28 seats
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK): Leading in 21 seats
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Others: Leading in fewer than 20 seats each
Rajeev Chandrasekhar leads in Thiruvananthapuram
In Thiruvananthapuram, a constituency traditionally held by the Congress and Left parties, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar is leading by 13,336 votes against incumbent Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. The seat witnessed a significant drop in voter turnout this year, with 66.47 per cent of the electorate casting their votes.
Rahul Gandhi leads in UP's Raebareli and Kerala's Wayanad
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is leading in both Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli and Kerala's Wayanad constituencies. In Wayanad, Gandhi has secured 298,456 votes, maintaining a significant lead over CPI candidate Annie Raja and the BJP candidate. In Raebareli, Gandhi is ahead by 116,100 votes against BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh. Gandhi's decision to contest from Raebareli aims to reinforce the Congress's historical influence in this constituency, which has been a stronghold except for three instances.
BJP leading in seven seats in Jharkhand
In Jharkhand, the BJP is leading in seven Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress is ahead in two and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in one. Notably, Union Minister Arjun Munda is trailing Congress's Kalicharan Munda in Khunti by 9,880 votes. Meanwhile, BJP's Sita Soren leads in Dumka, and sitting MP Nishikant Dubey is ahead in Godda.
NDA leads in 30 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar
The BJP -led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is leading in 30 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar, while the INDIA bloc is ahead in seven. BJP candidates are leading in key constituencies such as Paschim Champaran, Purvi Champaran, and Patna Sahib. JD(U), an NDA ally, is leading in seats like Sheohar and Sitamarhi. Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, representing Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), is leading in Gaya by 29,767 votes.
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