After seven-phase voting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the electoral arena is filled 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 counting of votes has begun amid tight security.
The 1:00 PM trends show that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has crossed the majority mark of 289.
As of 11 a.m., the NDA was in the lead with 292 seats, indicating a possible coalition government. By 12 noon, the BJP alone was leading with more than 200 seats, while the opposition Congress had fallen below the 100-seat mark.
In Tamil Nadu, the DMK and its allies from the 39 Lok Sabha constituencies appear poised to win 37 segments and the AIADMK and BJP’s ally PMK could get one seat each, according to the trends as of 1 p.m.
In West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress leads with 31 of the 42 seats, while the BJP has an edge with 10 seats.
The ruling Congress and the BJP appeared to share the top spot with the BRS ceding ground in Telangana as they had eight seats each out of the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, according to the 1 PM trends.
In Punjab, Congress was leading with seven seats and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with three seats, as per Election Commission trends.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was in charge in one parliamentary constituency, alongside two independents, including jailed Sikh leader Amritpal Singh. Congress candidates were leading from Amritsar, Jalandhar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdaspur, Patiala, Ferozepur and Ludhiana seats and the AAP was ahead in Hoshiarpur, Sangrur and Anandpur Sahib, the 1pm trends showed.
Voting for 543 Lok Sabha seats was held between April 19 and June 1, with one representative elected to the House of Representatives for each seat. A party or coalition needs a majority of 272 seats to form the government.
This year’s Lok Sabha elections were the second longest since India’s first elections in 1951-52. Election trends typically become apparent within an hour of counting, with clear results expected by the afternoon of counting day. Pollsters have stated that counting of votes on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) will begin 30 minutes after the counting of postal votes.
The BJP has set ambitious targets this time, targeting 370 seats for itself and 400 seats for the NDA. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP’s chief campaigner, took part in more than 200 public rallies, including rallies and roadshows.
The Congress, weakened by election losses and defections, is part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) opposition bloc, which is challenging the BJP. The INDIA bloc’s campaign included joint rallies of several opposition leaders.
First print: June 4, 2024 | 1:19 PM IST