Get set, count! EC has begun with the process that would ultimately decide which party and alliance could form the next government in the country. In conversation with Dr. Harshvardhan | Lok Sabha Election Results 2019 | Counting Day

WION Exclusive | In conversation with Dr. Harshvardhan | Lok Sabha Election Results 2019 | Counting Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening arrived at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters in New Delhi and gave his first address after the party seemed poised to register <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-modi-wave-sweeps-india-again-nda-poised-to-win-lok-sabha-elections-221034">a landslide win in Lok Sabha polls 2019</a>.

The prime minister promised to devote "every moment" of his life and "every fibre" of his being for the people of India.&nbsp;

"This is a mandate to form new India," PM Modi said in his victory speech.

"After so many elections, this is for the first time when so many votes were cast, that too amid sweltering heat," the prime minister noted.

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PM Narendra Modi: Since the country got independence, so many elections took place, but the maximum voting took place in this election, &amp; that too in 40-42 degree temperature <a href="https://t.co/fTTy4PjVQq">pic.twitter.com/fTTy4PjVQq</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1131567218729390081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"The world will identify India's electoral, democratic prowess now," he stated.

"I would like to thank 130 crore citizens of the country," PM Modi said. "Even the God of rain is here to celebrate with us in our win," he added.&nbsp;

"The country will now have only two castes - the poor and those who want to alleviate poverty," he said.&nbsp;

PM Modi was accompanied by party president Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh among other imminent BJP leaders. &nbsp;

As Modi walked into the party headquarters, alongside Shah, he bore a look of jubilation and flashed victory sign while party workers and supporters strew flower-petals on him. &nbsp;

Party president Amit Shah thanked the electors and the party workers. "This is the victory of Prime Ministers's popularity," Shah said.&nbsp;

"This was a historic win, after 50 years a leader a managed to register full majority to form the government," Shah added.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at BJP Headquarters in Delhi, rose petals showered by party workers. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElectionResults2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ElectionResults2019</a> <a href="https://t.co/V6Pcq1c0ki">pic.twitter.com/V6Pcq1c0ki</a>
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Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the electors for placing trust in the party once again. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-thank-you-india-faith-placed-in-our-alliance-is-humbling-pm-modi-221011">Thank you India!</a> The faith placed in our alliance is humbling and gives us the strength to work even harder to fulfil people's aspirations," the prime minister tweeted.&nbsp;

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Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at BJP Headquarters. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElectionResults2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ElectionResults2019</a> <a href="https://t.co/Q1L0oUmwur">pic.twitter.com/Q1L0oUmwur</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1131556638043779072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"I salute every BJP Karyakarta for their determination, perseverance and hard work. They went home to home, elaborating on our development agenda," his tweet read.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led-BJP appeared set for a resounding comeback on Thursday with leads over 300 seats while the Congress trailed far behind with 90, as the counting of the votes polled in India's 17th Lok Sabha election was underway.

Watch: Congress wishes PM Modi &amp; BJP by posting a tweet

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/lok-sabha-election-2019-congress-wishes-pm-modi-bjp-by-posting-a-tweet-221069/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Wishes began pouring in earlier in the day for the PM Modi and the BJP as the party, along with allies maintained leads on over 280 Parliamentary seats as the counting of votes progressed today.&nbsp;

Later in the day, the leads for the NDA shot up on over 340 seats, unofficially pronouncing another term for PM Modi.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening arrived at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters in New Delhi and gave his first address after the party seemed poised to register a landslide win in Lok Sabha polls 2019.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening arrived at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters in New Delhi and gave his first address after the party seemed poised to register a landslide win in Lok Sabha polls 2019. The prime minister promised to devote "every moment" of his life and "every fibre" of his being for the people of India. "This is a mandate to form new India," PM Modi said in his victory speech. "After so many elections, this is for the first time when so many votes were cast, that too amid sweltering heat," the prime minister noted. PM Narendra Modi: Since the country got independence, so many elections took place, but the maximum voting took place in this election, & that too in 40-42 degree temperature pic.twitter.com/fTTy4PjVQq — ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2019 × "The world will identify India's electoral, democratic prowess now," he stated. "I would like to thank 130 crore citizens of the country," PM Modi said. "Even the God of rain is here to celebrate with us in our win," he added. "The country will now have only two castes - the poor and those who want to alleviate poverty," he said. PM Modi was accompanied by party president Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh among other imminent BJP leaders. As Modi walked into the party headquarters, alongside Shah, he bore a look of jubilation and flashed victory sign while party workers and supporters strew flower-petals on him. Party president Amit Shah thanked the electors and the party workers. "This is the victory of Prime Ministers's popularity," Shah said. "This was a historic win, after 50 years a leader a managed to register full majority to form the government," Shah added. #WATCH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at BJP Headquarters in Delhi, rose petals showered by party workers. #ElectionResults2019 pic.twitter.com/V6Pcq1c0ki — ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2019 × Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the electors for placing trust in the party once again. "Thank you India! The faith placed in our alliance is humbling and gives us the strength to work even harder to fulfil people's aspirations," the prime minister tweeted. Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at BJP Headquarters. #ElectionResults2019 pic.twitter.com/Q1L0oUmwur — ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2019 × "I salute every BJP Karyakarta for their determination, perseverance and hard work. They went home to home, elaborating on our development agenda," his tweet read. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led-BJP appeared set for a resounding comeback on Thursday with leads over 300 seats while the Congress trailed far behind with 90, as the counting of the votes polled in India's 17th Lok Sabha election was underway. Watch: Congress wishes PM Modi & BJP by posting a tweet Wishes began pouring in earlier in the day for the PM Modi and the BJP as the party, along with allies maintained leads on over 280 Parliamentary seats as the counting of votes progressed today. Later in the day, the leads for the NDA shot up on over 340 seats, unofficially pronouncing another term for PM Modi.

Every moment of my life, every fibre of my being is devoted to nation: PM Modi in victory speech

Get set, count! EC has begun with the process that would ultimately decide which party and alliance could form the next government in the country. BJP+ leading in first trends with 59 seats over Congress+ with 21 initially. Watch this video to know more.

WION Exclusive | In conversation with Amit Malviya | Lok Sabha Elections Results 2019 | Counting Day 2019

Watch this segment to know the exact mean of this win of PM Modi. Have a look at top ten takeaways as well. #GeneralElections2019 #LokSabhaElectionResult #PMModi #BJP

Gravitas: What Does This Win Mean; Top Ten Takeaways

Get set, count! EC has begun with the process that would ultimately decide which party and alliance could form the next government in the country. Congress+ in trouble as BJP+ is leading the counts up-up and higher

Lok Sabha 2019 Results: Congress+ in trouble as BJP+ is leading the counts up-up and higher

Finally PM Modi has secured second term as Prime Minister with rousing majority. Watch this video to know more.

PM Modi secures second term as Prime Minister with rousing majority

Get set, count! EC has begun with the process that would ultimately decide which party and alliance could form the next government in the country. BJP's Delhi unit in celebratory mood; Confident of Imminent victory

Lok Sabha 2019 Results: BJP's Delhi unit in celebratory mood; Confident of Imminent victory

The BJP made massive inroads in West Bengal, giving a substantial jolt to the Trinamool Congress in the state. The BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) retained its ground in the Northeast with almost fifteen seats going to the BJP and leaving just four for the Congress.

In Bengal, the Trinamool Congress had bagged as many as 34 seats in the 2014 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/this-is-a-mandate-to-form-new-india-pm-modi-delivers-first-address-after-lok-sabha-polls-result-221070">Lok Sabha elections</a> with a vote share of 39 per cent. While the number of seats for the Trinamool Congress fell alarmingly this election, the vote share shot up to 46 per cent, retaining a 6 per cent gain.

Trinamool Congress’ star candidate Moon Moon Sen from Asansol constituency lost to BJP’s sitting MP Babul Supriyo. Deepak Adhikari (Dev) retained his seat from Ghatal. Two Tollywood actresses fielded from Jadavpur and Basirhat on TMC ticket, Mimi Chakraborty and Nusrat Jahan, won with a substantial margin defeating BJP and CPI(M) candidates.

While Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee refrained from addressing the press, she took to Twitter and posted, “Congratulations to the winners. But all losers are not losers. We have to do a complete review and then we will share our views with you all. Let the counting process be completed fully and the VVPATs matched.”

On the other hand, the BJP made major inroads in the state almost decimating the Left Front and Congress’ vote bank. While the Left Front could not secure a single seat, the lone survivor of the Congress in the state – Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury - managed to retain the seat with a margin of more than 80,000 votes.

A statement issued by the Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) read, “The Indian electorate has given a decisive verdict in the favour of the BJP and its allies. The CPI(M) has suffered a severe setback in these elections. We shall introspect the reasons for this and draw proper lessons for the future.”

For the BJP in West Bengal, the panchayat election results formed a ground for the party to further prosper in the state. BJP leaders in charge - Kailash Vijaywargiya and Mukul Roy - ensured that the party achieves the target set by BJP president Amit Shah of 23 seats in the state. Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh gave the party’s organizational structure a facelift after he took over and travelled across the length and breadth of the state to establish the party’s organisation in each of the districts.

For the final push in the seventh phase of elections, where nine seats including two in Kolkata were to go for polls, two other senior BJP leaders – Sunil Deodhar and Himanta Biswa Sarma - reached the city to encourage the party leaders and workers.

From a 17 per cent vote share in the 2014 elections, it rose to a whopping 40 per cent in this election. Political analysts feel that the diminishing vote share of the CPI(M) contributed to a consolidated vote share of the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The CPI(M) had a vote share of 29 per cent in 2014 and fell to a meagre 7 per cent in this election.

The BJP won major seats in North Bengal – Darjeeling, Raiganj, Alipurduar, Balurghat and others - among several seats in the Western Zones like Purulia and others. While Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh bagged the Midnapore seat, singer-turned-politician Babul Supriyo managed to retain his Asansol seat.

While addressing BJP workers, party president Amit Shah said, “Even after so much violence and rigging, BJP won 18 seats in West Bengal. It tells that in coming days, BJP will establish its might in West Bengal.”

As far as the Northeastern part of India is concerned, political analysts had suggested that the BJP might not do well after the party faced a backlash while trying to push the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB). However, the votes polled in favour of the BJP suggested that the push for the Citizenship Amendment Bill did not affect BJP’s electoral gains in the region.

In Assam, BJP candidates won with good margins in seats like Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Nowgong, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Silchar, Mangaldai and Tezpur. Barpeta seat went to BJP’s electoral ally in Assam – Asam Gono Parishad (AGP). All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF)’s Badruddin Ajmal won the Dhubri seat. Congress managed to secure three seats in Assam with party’s young leader Gaurav Gogoi securing the Kaliabor seat.

The man who engineered BJP’s victory in India’s Northeast and the chairman of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) Himanta Biswa Sarma took a dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi saying, “Politics is not meant for Rahul Gandhi. The party should consider giving him an early retirement.”

The BJP made massive inroads in West Bengal, giving a substantial jolt to the Trinamool Congress in the state. The BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) retained its ground in the Northeast with almost fifteen seats going to the BJP and leaving just four for the Congress.

The BJP made massive inroads in West Bengal, giving a substantial jolt to the Trinamool Congress in the state. The BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) retained its ground in the Northeast with almost fifteen seats going to the BJP and leaving just four for the Congress. In Bengal, the Trinamool Congress had bagged as many as 34 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections with a vote share of 39 per cent. While the number of seats for the Trinamool Congress fell alarmingly this election, the vote share shot up to 46 per cent, retaining a 6 per cent gain. Trinamool Congress’ star candidate Moon Moon Sen from Asansol constituency lost to BJP’s sitting MP Babul Supriyo. Deepak Adhikari (Dev) retained his seat from Ghatal. Two Tollywood actresses fielded from Jadavpur and Basirhat on TMC ticket, Mimi Chakraborty and Nusrat Jahan, won with a substantial margin defeating BJP and CPI(M) candidates. While Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee refrained from addressing the press, she took to Twitter and posted, “Congratulations to the winners. But all losers are not losers. We have to do a complete review and then we will share our views with you all. Let the counting process be completed fully and the VVPATs matched.” On the other hand, the BJP made major inroads in the state almost decimating the Left Front and Congress’ vote bank. While the Left Front could not secure a single seat, the lone survivor of the Congress in the state – Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury - managed to retain the seat with a margin of more than 80,000 votes. A statement issued by the Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) read, “The Indian electorate has given a decisive verdict in the favour of the BJP and its allies. The CPI(M) has suffered a severe setback in these elections. We shall introspect the reasons for this and draw proper lessons for the future.” For the BJP in West Bengal, the panchayat election results formed a ground for the party to further prosper in the state. BJP leaders in charge - Kailash Vijaywargiya and Mukul Roy - ensured that the party achieves the target set by BJP president Amit Shah of 23 seats in the state. Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh gave the party’s organizational structure a facelift after he took over and travelled across the length and breadth of the state to establish the party’s organisation in each of the districts. For the final push in the seventh phase of elections, where nine seats including two in Kolkata were to go for polls, two other senior BJP leaders – Sunil Deodhar and Himanta Biswa Sarma - reached the city to encourage the party leaders and workers. From a 17 per cent vote share in the 2014 elections, it rose to a whopping 40 per cent in this election. Political analysts feel that the diminishing vote share of the CPI(M) contributed to a consolidated vote share of the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The CPI(M) had a vote share of 29 per cent in 2014 and fell to a meagre 7 per cent in this election. The BJP won major seats in North Bengal – Darjeeling, Raiganj, Alipurduar, Balurghat and others - among several seats in the Western Zones like Purulia and others. While Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh bagged the Midnapore seat, singer-turned-politician Babul Supriyo managed to retain his Asansol seat. While addressing BJP workers, party president Amit Shah said, “Even after so much violence and rigging, BJP won 18 seats in West Bengal. It tells that in coming days, BJP will establish its might in West Bengal.” As far as the Northeastern part of India is concerned, political analysts had suggested that the BJP might not do well after the party faced a backlash while trying to push the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB). However, the votes polled in favour of the BJP suggested that the push for the Citizenship Amendment Bill did not affect BJP’s electoral gains in the region. In Assam, BJP candidates won with good margins in seats like Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Nowgong, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Silchar, Mangaldai and Tezpur. Barpeta seat went to BJP’s electoral ally in Assam – Asam Gono Parishad (AGP). All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF)’s Badruddin Ajmal won the Dhubri seat. Congress managed to secure three seats in Assam with party’s young leader Gaurav Gogoi securing the Kaliabor seat. The man who engineered BJP’s victory in India’s Northeast and the chairman of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) Himanta Biswa Sarma took a dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi saying, “Politics is not meant for Rahul Gandhi. The party should consider giving him an early retirement.”

BJP makes massive inroads in West Bengal, Northeast; gives major jolt to Congress, Trinamool Congress

Get set, count! EC has begun with the process that would ultimately decide which party and alliance could form the next government in the country. BJP+ leading in first trends with 59 seats over Congress+ with 21 initially

Lok Sabha 2019 Results: BJP+ leading in first trends with 59 seats over Congress+ with 21 initially

BJP President Amit Shah addresses hundreds of BJP workers at BJP HQ, New Delhi. Watch this video to get complete details.

BJP President Amit Shah addresses hundreds of BJP workers at BJP HQ, New Delhi

Jyotiraditya Scindia has lost from Guna, Madhya Pradesh which called Scindia family baston since years. Scinidia was winning this baston since last 3 terms.

Jyotiraditya Scindia loses family baston Guna, Madhya Pradesh

Get set, count! EC has begun with the process that would ultimately decide which party and alliance could form the next government in the country.

Lok Sabha 2019 Results: BJP's Sadhvi Pragya leading from Bhopal over Congress Digvijay Singh

By the time you read this, early trends of the results in the 2019 Lok Sabha election will have already started trickling in.&nbsp;

But, because of the Supreme Court’s direction to the Election Commission to increase the number of Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips from one Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) per assembly constituency to five, a full picture of the winners and losers in the most fiercely fought general election since Independence will be clear only later tonight or by early tomorrow morning.&nbsp;

What can, however, be ruled out is the dire pre-election prediction by the Opposition that the BJP will fall below 200 seats, shedding nearly 100 seats from its tally in 2014. That clearly is not going to happen even if the exit polls are off the mark.&nbsp;

If the BJP-led NDA forms the next government once all the results have been declared, it will point to a grim conclusion: the clear consolidation of the Hindu vote.&nbsp;

For that, the Opposition has only itself to blame. Over the years, the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and several others have positioned themselves as minority-leaning parties, pushing even moderate Hindu voters inexorably towards the BJP. As strategy, it has proved to be electorally disastrous.&nbsp;

The 2014 Lok Sabha election provided the first glimpse of this electoral polarisation. The BJP increased its vote share from 18.80 per cent in 2009 to 31 per cent in 2014 and more than doubled its seats from 116 to 282.

The 2019 Lok Sabha election, if the results are in the same range as the exit polls, could quicken this trend. The Congress realised far too late how minorityism was hurting its electoral prospects. Minorities need empowerment. The Congress, over the decades, has confused appeasement with empowerment. Muslims remain the poorest community in the country despite receiving patronising attention from Congress. Instead of communal fear-mongering, they need and deserve jobs, education and respect.

Rahul Gandhi belatedly recognised the dangers of this strategy before the December 2017 Gujarat Assembly election. He publicly embraced his Brahmin identity and did the rounds of temples. Yet, in the febrile campaign for the 2019 general election, Rahul made several tactical errors. He continued to focus on the Rafale fighter jet deal despite not providing a shred of evidence for his allegation of cronyism and corruption against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;

Proposing the NYAY minimum income guarantee scheme so late in the campaign ensured it made little impact at the grassroots. In comparison, the BJP’s handout of Rs 4,000 in two installments to small farmers during the campaign had an immediate effect.&nbsp;

The issues Rahul should have highlighted relentlessly during the campaign were rural distress and jobs. He did so at almost all rallies, but he was so obsessed with repeating his “chowkidar chor hai” taunt against Modi that genuine criticism of the BJP’s economic policies was lost in the din. The charge against Modi of being a “chor” found no resonance with voters. It simply showed Rahul as petulant rather than a serious contender for national leadership.&nbsp;

There will be questions asked about Rahul Gandhi’s leadership — but they will not emanate from the Congress. Its dynastic hierarchy is set in stone. Rahul will be shielded from blame. So will Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. That would compound the Congress’ litany of errors. &nbsp;

Dynastic parties across the country seem to have fared badly in these elections: the RJD’s Yadav family in Bihar, as well as the NCP’s Pawar clan in Maharashtra, have suffered setbacks. Only regional dynasties in states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have maintained their hierarchical grip on the electorate due largely to provincial loyalties. But warning signs are flashing: political dynasties are an endangered species.

For the BJP, too, there are learnings from the 2019 general election. It ran a deliberately polarising campaign. There was no attempt to give an account of its economic performance and governance over the last five years. Voters did not vote for individual BJP candidates. They voted for Modi.&nbsp;

This, of course, was a calibrated ploy. Modi is aware that his bench strength is weak. Two of his top ministers — Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj — are too unwell to campaign effectively. A majority of the BJP’s Lok Sabha MPs have contributed little to the party’s performance over the past five years.&nbsp;

Readers would be hard-pressed to name more than a few dozen of those 282 faceless MPs. Thirteen have since 2014 lost their seats in bypolls or have passed away. Several others were denied tickets in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.&nbsp;

In his second term as prime minister, Modi must build the party’s bench strength. The new BJP MPs in the seventeenth Lok Sabha that will be constituted later this month must be encouraged to contribute more both in Parliament and outside. The BJP has mastered the art of winning elections. It must now master the science of ideas and apply them to structural economic reforms in land, labour, tax, farm technology and PSU privatisation.&nbsp;

Remember, too, that the results of assembly elections in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha poll, will be declared later today as well. We could be in for interesting times in both states. 
 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-lessons-from-the-2019-election-2752313">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

By the time you read this, early trends of the results in the 2019 Lok Sabha election will have already started trickling in. But, because of the Supreme Court’s direction to the Election Commission to increase the number of Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips from one Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) per assembly constituency to five, a full picture of the winners and losers in the most fiercely fought general election since Independence will be clear only later tonight or by early tomorrow morning.

By the time you read this, early trends of the results in the 2019 Lok Sabha election will have already started trickling in. But, because of the Supreme Court’s direction to the Election Commission to increase the number of Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips from one Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) per assembly constituency to five, a full picture of the winners and losers in the most fiercely fought general election since Independence will be clear only later tonight or by early tomorrow morning. What can, however, be ruled out is the dire pre-election prediction by the Opposition that the BJP will fall below 200 seats, shedding nearly 100 seats from its tally in 2014. That clearly is not going to happen even if the exit polls are off the mark. If the BJP-led NDA forms the next government once all the results have been declared, it will point to a grim conclusion: the clear consolidation of the Hindu vote. For that, the Opposition has only itself to blame. Over the years, the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and several others have positioned themselves as minority-leaning parties, pushing even moderate Hindu voters inexorably towards the BJP. As strategy, it has proved to be electorally disastrous. The 2014 Lok Sabha election provided the first glimpse of this electoral polarisation. The BJP increased its vote share from 18.80 per cent in 2009 to 31 per cent in 2014 and more than doubled its seats from 116 to 282. The 2019 Lok Sabha election, if the results are in the same range as the exit polls, could quicken this trend. The Congress realised far too late how minorityism was hurting its electoral prospects. Minorities need empowerment. The Congress, over the decades, has confused appeasement with empowerment. Muslims remain the poorest community in the country despite receiving patronising attention from Congress. Instead of communal fear-mongering, they need and deserve jobs, education and respect. Rahul Gandhi belatedly recognised the dangers of this strategy before the December 2017 Gujarat Assembly election. He publicly embraced his Brahmin identity and did the rounds of temples. Yet, in the febrile campaign for the 2019 general election, Rahul made several tactical errors. He continued to focus on the Rafale fighter jet deal despite not providing a shred of evidence for his allegation of cronyism and corruption against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Proposing the NYAY minimum income guarantee scheme so late in the campaign ensured it made little impact at the grassroots. In comparison, the BJP’s handout of Rs 4,000 in two installments to small farmers during the campaign had an immediate effect. The issues Rahul should have highlighted relentlessly during the campaign were rural distress and jobs. He did so at almost all rallies, but he was so obsessed with repeating his “chowkidar chor hai” taunt against Modi that genuine criticism of the BJP’s economic policies was lost in the din. The charge against Modi of being a “chor” found no resonance with voters. It simply showed Rahul as petulant rather than a serious contender for national leadership. There will be questions asked about Rahul Gandhi’s leadership — but they will not emanate from the Congress. Its dynastic hierarchy is set in stone. Rahul will be shielded from blame. So will Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. That would compound the Congress’ litany of errors. Dynastic parties across the country seem to have fared badly in these elections: the RJD’s Yadav family in Bihar, as well as the NCP’s Pawar clan in Maharashtra, have suffered setbacks. Only regional dynasties in states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have maintained their hierarchical grip on the electorate due largely to provincial loyalties. But warning signs are flashing: political dynasties are an endangered species. For the BJP, too, there are learnings from the 2019 general election. It ran a deliberately polarising campaign. There was no attempt to give an account of its economic performance and governance over the last five years. Voters did not vote for individual BJP candidates. They voted for Modi. This, of course, was a calibrated ploy. Modi is aware that his bench strength is weak. Two of his top ministers — Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj — are too unwell to campaign effectively. A majority of the BJP’s Lok Sabha MPs have contributed little to the party’s performance over the past five years. Readers would be hard-pressed to name more than a few dozen of those 282 faceless MPs. Thirteen have since 2014 lost their seats in bypolls or have passed away. Several others were denied tickets in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. In his second term as prime minister, Modi must build the party’s bench strength. The new BJP MPs in the seventeenth Lok Sabha that will be constituted later this month must be encouraged to contribute more both in Parliament and outside. The BJP has mastered the art of winning elections. It must now master the science of ideas and apply them to structural economic reforms in land, labour, tax, farm technology and PSU privatisation. Remember, too, that the results of assembly elections in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha poll, will be declared later today as well. We could be in for interesting times in both states. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

In his second term as Prime Minister, Narendra Modi must build the party’s bench strength

Finally, the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 process draws to a close with counting of votes for 542 Lok Sabha seats to begin shortly. Watch this video to know more.

Polls predicts end of Congress era; Shows a Saffron sweep

Congress candidate from New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, Ajay Maken said that&nbsp;election results will&nbsp;"definitely be in favour" of the party as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-polls-2019-election-commission-to-start-counting-of-votes-for-parliamentary-polls-in-542-seats-at-8-am-220717">counting of&nbsp;votes polled for 17th Lok Sabha elections</a>&nbsp;to take place today.

"The results will be definitely in favour of Congress. We're expecting that Congress will win and form a government and Rahul Gandhi will be the PM," Maken said.

"The fight in Delhi is between BJP and Congress," he added.

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Ajay Maken, Congress candidate from New Delhi LS seat, contesting against BJP MP Meenakashi Lekhi: The results will be definitely in favour of Congress. We're expecting that Congress will win &amp;form govt. Rahul Gandhi will be the PM. The fight in Delhi is between BJP and Congress. <a href="https://t.co/zhqUvqDIbH">pic.twitter.com/zhqUvqDIbH</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1131377075716206592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Ajay Maken is contesting against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/buoyed-by-exit-poll-projections-bjp-leaders-order-ladoos-motichoor-cakes-to-celebrate-win-220708">Bharatiya Janata Party</a>'s Meenakshi Lekhi and Aam Aadmi Party's Brajesh Goel.

In the 2014 elections, the BJP has registered a win on all seven seats in the national capital.&nbsp;

On Sunday's exit polls as well, pollsters predicted a landslide win for the BJP.

As per Today's Chanakya, the BJP is predicted to keep all seven seats in the national capital with other major parties scoring nil.&nbsp;

Polster exit polls suggested AAP washed out in Delhi and the BJP to get all 7 seats. India TV also predicted that the BJP will bag all 7 seats out in the national capital.&nbsp;

All seven Lok Sabha constituencies in the national capital - Chandni Chowk, East Delhi, New Delhi, North East Delhi, North West Delhi, South Delhi and West Delhi - went to polls in the sixth leg of Lok Sabha polls on May 12.&nbsp;

India Election Watch: UPA reaches out to regional parties

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&nbsp;

Congress candidate from New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, Ajay Maken said that election results will "definitely be in favour" of the party as counting of votes polled for 17th Lok Sabha elections to take place today.

Congress candidate from New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, Ajay Maken said that election results will "definitely be in favour" of the party as counting of votes polled for 17th Lok Sabha elections to take place today. "The results will be definitely in favour of Congress. We're expecting that Congress will win and form a government and Rahul Gandhi will be the PM," Maken said. "The fight in Delhi is between BJP and Congress," he added. Ajay Maken, Congress candidate from New Delhi LS seat, contesting against BJP MP Meenakashi Lekhi: The results will be definitely in favour of Congress. We're expecting that Congress will win &form govt. Rahul Gandhi will be the PM. The fight in Delhi is between BJP and Congress. pic.twitter.com/zhqUvqDIbH — ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2019 × Ajay Maken is contesting against Bharatiya Janata Party's Meenakshi Lekhi and Aam Aadmi Party's Brajesh Goel. In the 2014 elections, the BJP has registered a win on all seven seats in the national capital. On Sunday's exit polls as well, pollsters predicted a landslide win for the BJP. As per Today's Chanakya, the BJP is predicted to keep all seven seats in the national capital with other major parties scoring nil. Polster exit polls suggested AAP washed out in Delhi and the BJP to get all 7 seats. India TV also predicted that the BJP will bag all 7 seats out in the national capital. All seven Lok Sabha constituencies in the national capital - Chandni Chowk, East Delhi, New Delhi, North East Delhi, North West Delhi, South Delhi and West Delhi - went to polls in the sixth leg of Lok Sabha polls on May 12. India Election Watch: UPA reaches out to regional parties ×

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Election results will 'definitely be in favour' of Congress, says Ajay Maken

India began&nbsp;counting hundreds of millions of votes in its general election today at 8:00 am, with a coalition led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party already preparing to form the next government.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Modi's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/exit-polls-2019-pm-modi-returning-to-power-with-300-plus-seats-say-pollsters-219927">Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is expected to surpass the 272 seats</a> needed to command a majority in the lower house of parliament, six of seven exit polls showed on Sunday.&nbsp;

Their predicted margin of victory is larger than surveys indicated in the run-up to the vote when most polls showed the NDA would be the largest alliance but would fall short of an overall majority.&nbsp;

Counting of votes begins at 08:00 am and&nbsp;trends are expected to be known by noon because of the use of computerised voting machines. Final results in the polls, in which around 900 million Indians were eligible to vote, are due by the evening.&nbsp;

The voting was held in seven phases with first phase&nbsp;beginning from&nbsp;April 11.

The last phase of voting was held on May&nbsp;19. Over 67.11 crore voters exercised their right to vote.&nbsp;

Victory preparation

The NDA held a meeting on Tuesday, at which Modi was garlanded with flowers by members of the alliance, to discuss its policy agenda for its second term in power. It has promised to double farmers'&nbsp;income and boost infrastructure spending over the next five years.

Several opposition leaders attempting to unseat Modi have <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/time-to-switch-off-tv-how-politicians-reacted-to-exit-polls-2019-219956">urged voters to wait for the final results</a>, calling the exit polls "gossip".

"Do not get demoralised by the fake exit polls doing the rounds," Congress president Rahul Gandhi said in a message to party workers posted on social media on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The opposition alliance has also protested to India's Election Commission over the electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in the count, that they <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/evms-are-completely-tamper-proof-cannot-be-hacked-former-chief-election-commissioner-op-rawat-220663">alleged can be tampered with</a>, and requested a delay to counting while votes are tallied with a backup paper audit trail.

The commission rejected the opposition's demands on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Around 500 masked people carrying guns and machetes attacked a polling team and forcibly took away EVMs in the remote northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, Reuters reported on Wednesday, though elections in the country as a whole are widely considered to be free and fair by international observers.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/sensex-surges-over-1000-points-may-cross-40000-as-exit-poll-predict-nda-win-220058">Indian stocks posted their biggest gain</a> since September 2013 on Monday after the exit polls and could rally further on Thursday if the trend is confirmed, according to a Reuters poll.&nbsp;

"Markets will have a big sigh of relief as it favours continuity and familiarity in terms of roll-out of policies," said Ajay Bodke, CEO at financial services firm Prabhudas Lilladher.

India began counting hundreds of millions of votes in its general election today at 8:00 am, with a coalition led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party already preparing to form the next government.

India began counting hundreds of millions of votes in its general election today at 8:00 am, with a coalition led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party already preparing to form the next government. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is expected to surpass the 272 seats needed to command a majority in the lower house of parliament, six of seven exit polls showed on Sunday. Their predicted margin of victory is larger than surveys indicated in the run-up to the vote when most polls showed the NDA would be the largest alliance but would fall short of an overall majority. Counting of votes begins at 08:00 am and trends are expected to be known by noon because of the use of computerised voting machines. Final results in the polls, in which around 900 million Indians were eligible to vote, are due by the evening. The voting was held in seven phases with first phase beginning from April 11. The last phase of voting was held on May 19. Over 67.11 crore voters exercised their right to vote. Victory preparation The NDA held a meeting on Tuesday, at which Modi was garlanded with flowers by members of the alliance, to discuss its policy agenda for its second term in power. It has promised to double farmers' income and boost infrastructure spending over the next five years. Several opposition leaders attempting to unseat Modi have urged voters to wait for the final results, calling the exit polls "gossip". "Do not get demoralised by the fake exit polls doing the rounds," Congress president Rahul Gandhi said in a message to party workers posted on social media on Wednesday. The opposition alliance has also protested to India's Election Commission over the electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in the count, that they alleged can be tampered with, and requested a delay to counting while votes are tallied with a backup paper audit trail. The commission rejected the opposition's demands on Wednesday. Around 500 masked people carrying guns and machetes attacked a polling team and forcibly took away EVMs in the remote northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, Reuters reported on Wednesday, though elections in the country as a whole are widely considered to be free and fair by international observers. Indian stocks posted their biggest gain since September 2013 on Monday after the exit polls and could rally further on Thursday if the trend is confirmed, according to a Reuters poll. "Markets will have a big sigh of relief as it favours continuity and familiarity in terms of roll-out of policies," said Ajay Bodke, CEO at financial services firm Prabhudas Lilladher.

Lok Sabha Election Result 2019: Counting of votes begins with BJP looking at second term

Get set, count! EC has begun with the process that would ultimately decide which party and alliance could form the next government in the country. Rahul Gandhi congratulates PM Modi & accepts defeat.

Congress Press Conference: Rahul Gandhi congratulates PM Modi & accepts defeat

With the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-polls-2019-counting-of-votes-to-take-place-on-thursday-fates-of-over-8000-candidates-to-be-decided-220612">counting of votes due on Thursday</a>, all eyes will be on Uttar Pradesh which offers a massive chunk of 80 parliamentary constituencies. The strategic significance of the state in deciding the fate of the incumbent central government could never be undermined.&nbsp;

The state has given 10 prime ministers since independence. Going by the exit polls predictions, the BJP-led <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lions-share-of-uttar-pradeshs-seats-going-to-bjp-predict-exit-polls-219936">NDA is likely to get the lion's share of Uttar Pradesh</a>'s 80 Lok Sabha seats. Times Now-VMR said the NDA will get 58 seats in UP and C-Voter suggested 38 seats for the alliance. The poll of polls, a collection of various exit polls, predicted 43 seats for the NDA.

For Rahul Gandhi-led Congress, the pollsters painted a dismal picture giving just a couple of seats to the party in the state. The SP-BSP-RLD alliance is predicted to bag between 20 to 40 seats, pollsters said.&nbsp;

During the last Lok Sabha polls, the NDA registered a landslide win with 71 seats out of 80.&nbsp;

Along with its NDA constituents, the BJP won 336 out of 543 seats and formed the government at the Centre. It was for the first time in about three decades that a party won such a huge number of seats.

This time around, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/exit-polls-2019-pm-modi-returning-to-power-with-300-plus-seats-say-pollsters-219927">the exit polls show the BJP cornering over 300 seats</a> and form a government at the Centre comfortably. The party, along with its allies, is predicted to sweep a lion's share of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/bjp-in-countrys-hindi-heartland-exit-polls-spell-thumping-victory-for-party-in-madhya-pradesh-4-other-states-219985">Hindi heartland of the nation</a> including states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar as well as the national capital.&nbsp;

With the counting of votes progressing on Thursday, fates of some of the political bigwigs will be sealed who are contesting from the key constituencies of Uttar Pradesh.&nbsp;

Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a second term from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat where he is in the contest with Congress' Ajai Rai.&nbsp;

Amethi: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is in a tough fight against BJP minister Smriti Irani.&nbsp;

Rae Bareli: Sonia Gandhi is in a straight contest with BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh.

Azamgarh: A traditional SP stronghold, Azamgarh will see a battle between chief Akhilesh Yadav and BJP's Dinesh Lal Yadav Nirahua.

Mainpuri: Another SP bastion, party patriarch is set to lock horns here with BJP's Prem Singh Shakya.&nbsp;

Lucknow: Union Home Minister is set to take on SP's Poonam Sinha and Congress' Acharya Pramod Krishnam.&nbsp;

Gorakhpur: Here, the fight is mainly among Madhusudan Tripathi of the Congress, Ravindra Shyamnarayan Shukla alias Ravi Kishan of the BJP and Rambhual Nishad of the SP.

Sultanpur: The seat will witness a close contest as the BJP's candidate is the Union minister Maneka Gandhi, who is replacing her son Varun Gandhi.

Congress candidate Sanjay Singh will give tough competition to Maneka Gandhi, as Congress has had a hold on this seat in 7 Lok Sabha elections against the BJP's 4 wins in this constituency.

Allahabad: Rita Bahuguna Joshi is BJP's candidate on the Allahabad seat.

Joshi is fighting against Congress leader Yogesh Shukla and SP's Rajendra Singh Patel.

With the counting of votes due on Thursday, all eyes will be on Uttar Pradesh which offers a massive chunk of 80 parliamentary constituencies. The strategic significance of the state in deciding the fate of the incumbent central government could never be undermined.

With the counting of votes due on Thursday, all eyes will be on Uttar Pradesh which offers a massive chunk of 80 parliamentary constituencies. The strategic significance of the state in deciding the fate of the incumbent central government could never be undermined. The state has given 10 prime ministers since independence. Going by the exit polls predictions, the BJP-led NDA is likely to get the lion's share of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats. Times Now-VMR said the NDA will get 58 seats in UP and C-Voter suggested 38 seats for the alliance. The poll of polls, a collection of various exit polls, predicted 43 seats for the NDA. For Rahul Gandhi-led Congress, the pollsters painted a dismal picture giving just a couple of seats to the party in the state. The SP-BSP-RLD alliance is predicted to bag between 20 to 40 seats, pollsters said. During the last Lok Sabha polls, the NDA registered a landslide win with 71 seats out of 80. Along with its NDA constituents, the BJP won 336 out of 543 seats and formed the government at the Centre. It was for the first time in about three decades that a party won such a huge number of seats. This time around, the exit polls show the BJP cornering over 300 seats and form a government at the Centre comfortably. The party, along with its allies, is predicted to sweep a lion's share of the Hindi heartland of the nation including states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar as well as the national capital. With the counting of votes progressing on Thursday, fates of some of the political bigwigs will be sealed who are contesting from the key constituencies of Uttar Pradesh. Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a second term from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat where he is in the contest with Congress' Ajai Rai. Amethi: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is in a tough fight against BJP minister Smriti Irani. Rae Bareli: Sonia Gandhi is in a straight contest with BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh. Azamgarh: A traditional SP stronghold, Azamgarh will see a battle between chief Akhilesh Yadav and BJP's Dinesh Lal Yadav Nirahua. Mainpuri: Another SP bastion, party patriarch is set to lock horns here with BJP's Prem Singh Shakya. Lucknow: Union Home Minister is set to take on SP's Poonam Sinha and Congress' Acharya Pramod Krishnam. Gorakhpur: Here, the fight is mainly among Madhusudan Tripathi of the Congress, Ravindra Shyamnarayan Shukla alias Ravi Kishan of the BJP and Rambhual Nishad of the SP. Sultanpur: The seat will witness a close contest as the BJP's candidate is the Union minister Maneka Gandhi, who is replacing her son Varun Gandhi. Congress candidate Sanjay Singh will give tough competition to Maneka Gandhi, as Congress has had a hold on this seat in 7 Lok Sabha elections against the BJP's 4 wins in this constituency. Allahabad: Rita Bahuguna Joshi is BJP's candidate on the Allahabad seat. Joshi is fighting against Congress leader Yogesh Shukla and SP's Rajendra Singh Patel.

Lok Sabha election 2019: Results of high-stakes polls in Uttar Pradesh's 80 seats to seal Mahagathbandhan's fate 

Get set, count! EC has begun with the process that would ultimately decide which party and alliance could form the next government in the country. Congress accepts defeat in Lok Sabha Election

Lok Sabha Election 2019: Congress accepts defeat in Lok Sabha Election

From just two seats in Lok Sabha in 1984 to win two back-to-back majority in general elections, the BJP with its right-wing Hindutva ideology has firmly taken the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">centre-stage of India's political landscape</a>, displacing the Congress.&nbsp;

With the Ram temple movement in 1990s, its graph started rising but its influence remained largely restricted to Hindi heartland and the party emerged as the single largest party in 1996 under the leadership of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.&nbsp;

The party for the first time formed government in 1996 for 13 days and then for 13 months in 1998 when its government lost by a single vote in Lok Sabha.&nbsp;

It was Vajpayee's pragmatic leadership which helped the party shed its "untouchable" tag as it forged new alliances and led the first non-Congress government which completed its five-year tenure.&nbsp;

It tasted stratospheric success with the emergence of Narendra Modi on national scene and the party won majority on its own for the first time in 2014 while expanding its footprint beyond Hindi heartland, especially in the Northeast region.&nbsp;

Few had imagined the BJP would be able to travel this far when it was founded on April 6, 1980. The party originated from Jan Sangh, which had merged with the Janata Party 1n 1977 but three years later splintered.&nbsp;

When the saffron party contested its first election in 1984, it won only two Lok Sabha seats. Following which, then party president L K Advani made Hindutva as the core ideology of the party and used the rhetoric of "pseudo-secularism" and "Muslim appeasement" to great effect in winning popular support among the Hindus.&nbsp;

The hardline Hindutva politics, which was in line with its ideological parent RSS's ideology, paid rich electoral dividends in the next general elections in 1989 when the BJP won 85 Lok Sabha seats. Following Advani's 'Ram Rath Yatra' in 1990, the party grew in strength and in the 1991 general elections, it increased its strength to 120.

The party's vote share went up to 20.1 per cent in 1991 from 11.4 per cent in 1989 and 7.4 per cent in 1984.

In the 1996 general elections, the BJP for the first time became the single largest party in Lok Sabha by winning 161 seats and staked claim to form the government.

The first ever BJP-led government, formed under the leadership of Vajpayee, lasted for only 13 days as it failed to attract allies to muster a majority.

In the next general polls in 1998, the BJP's tally increased and it got 182 seats in the Lok Sabha and formed a coalition government called the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which lasted 13 months when it lost a no-confidence motion by a single vote.

A year later, the BJP came back to power as the NDA won 270 seats in the general elections on its own, with the party again getting 182 seats. And Vajpayee became prime minister for the third time.

This time BJP's government lasted the full term until the next general polls in 2004, from where the BJP's decline started as it lost two back-to-back general elections.

A change of fortunes happened in 2014 with the emergence of Narendra Modi on the national scene as the face of the saffron party and under his leadership the BJP won 282 seats on its own. And this was perhaps the first party in three decade when any party had got majority on its own.

Following the BJP's massive victory and splendid performance in Uttar Pradesh, Amit Shah, who was in charge of the state, was rewarded with party's top post.

With this change of ranks in the party's leadership, a new era of Modi-Shah duo started which led to the party's victory in various state assembly elections and the BJP was ruling the 18 states at one point of time.

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The party, which is again all set to win, now occupies the centre-stage of Indian political landscape. With it being the strongest political entity in the country, the BJP has become the central focal point of Indian politics and become the common enemy of all the opposition parties.&nbsp;

From just two seats in Lok Sabha in 1984 to win two back-to-back majority in general elections, the BJP with its right-wing Hindutva ideology has firmly taken the centre-stage of India's political landscape, displacing the Congress.

From just two seats in Lok Sabha in 1984 to win two back-to-back majority in general elections, the BJP with its right-wing Hindutva ideology has firmly taken the centre-stage of India's political landscape, displacing the Congress. With the Ram temple movement in 1990s, its graph started rising but its influence remained largely restricted to Hindi heartland and the party emerged as the single largest party in 1996 under the leadership of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The party for the first time formed government in 1996 for 13 days and then for 13 months in 1998 when its government lost by a single vote in Lok Sabha. It was Vajpayee's pragmatic leadership which helped the party shed its "untouchable" tag as it forged new alliances and led the first non-Congress government which completed its five-year tenure. It tasted stratospheric success with the emergence of Narendra Modi on national scene and the party won majority on its own for the first time in 2014 while expanding its footprint beyond Hindi heartland, especially in the Northeast region. Few had imagined the BJP would be able to travel this far when it was founded on April 6, 1980. The party originated from Jan Sangh, which had merged with the Janata Party 1n 1977 but three years later splintered. When the saffron party contested its first election in 1984, it won only two Lok Sabha seats. Following which, then party president L K Advani made Hindutva as the core ideology of the party and used the rhetoric of "pseudo-secularism" and "Muslim appeasement" to great effect in winning popular support among the Hindus. The hardline Hindutva politics, which was in line with its ideological parent RSS's ideology, paid rich electoral dividends in the next general elections in 1989 when the BJP won 85 Lok Sabha seats. Following Advani's 'Ram Rath Yatra' in 1990, the party grew in strength and in the 1991 general elections, it increased its strength to 120. The party's vote share went up to 20.1 per cent in 1991 from 11.4 per cent in 1989 and 7.4 per cent in 1984. In the 1996 general elections, the BJP for the first time became the single largest party in Lok Sabha by winning 161 seats and staked claim to form the government. The first ever BJP-led government, formed under the leadership of Vajpayee, lasted for only 13 days as it failed to attract allies to muster a majority. In the next general polls in 1998, the BJP's tally increased and it got 182 seats in the Lok Sabha and formed a coalition government called the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which lasted 13 months when it lost a no-confidence motion by a single vote. A year later, the BJP came back to power as the NDA won 270 seats in the general elections on its own, with the party again getting 182 seats. And Vajpayee became prime minister for the third time. This time BJP's government lasted the full term until the next general polls in 2004, from where the BJP's decline started as it lost two back-to-back general elections. A change of fortunes happened in 2014 with the emergence of Narendra Modi on the national scene as the face of the saffron party and under his leadership the BJP won 282 seats on its own. And this was perhaps the first party in three decade when any party had got majority on its own. Following the BJP's massive victory and splendid performance in Uttar Pradesh, Amit Shah, who was in charge of the state, was rewarded with party's top post. With this change of ranks in the party's leadership, a new era of Modi-Shah duo started which led to the party's victory in various state assembly elections and the BJP was ruling the 18 states at one point of time. × The party, which is again all set to win, now occupies the centre-stage of Indian political landscape. With it being the strongest political entity in the country, the BJP has become the central focal point of Indian politics and become the common enemy of all the opposition parties.

BJP's journey from just two seats in Lok Sabha in 1984 to winning two back-to-back majority

WION's expert analysis on Guna and Amethi constituencies

Analysis: What poll losses in Guna and Amethi mean for Congress

Get set, count! EC has begun with the process that would ultimately decide which party and alliance could form the next government in the country. In conversation with BJP's Tuhin A. Sinha | Lok Sabha Election Results 2019

WION Exclusive | In conversation with BJP's Tuhin A. Sinha | Lok Sabha Election Results 2019

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is on course to win the 2019 Lok Sabha handsomely. The NDA is so far leading on 348 seats out of 542 on which the polls were held; the BJP's tally stood at 286. This is four more than the party's 2014 tally.

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Thank you India! The faith placed in our alliance is humbling and gives us strength to work even harder to fulfil people's aspirations. 
 
I salute every BJP Karyakarta for their determination, perseverance &amp; hardwork. They went home to home, elaborating on our development agenda.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1131527111804477440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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BJP's victory was evident from the moment counting began at 8am on Thursday. The BJP's graph kept climbing leaps and bounds and by 9.30am, had crossed the halfway mark of 272 making it clear that the party is again going to form the government at the Centre under the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-thank-you-india-faith-placed-in-our-alliance-is-humbling-pm-modi-221011">leadership of Narendra Modi</a>.

The BJP grabbed the pole position riding on the back of massive gains it made in north Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi - the Hindi heartland of India. Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state and one with the highest number of Lok Sabha seats - 80 - is ready to hand over 59 seats to NDA. Though it is less than its 2014 tally of 71, the party has still managed to emerge as the single largest party in the state against the combined challenge of Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The 'Mahagathbandhan' is so far leading on 20 seats in UP.

Among the most shocking upset of this election came from Amethi, where <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/in-a-neck-and-neck-battle-smriti-irani-defeats-rahul-gandhi-in-amethi-221025">Congress president Rahul Gandhi</a> lost against BJP's Smriti Irani by 35,000 votes. In 2014, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/has-rahul-gandhi-become-a-liability-for-congress-221005">Rahul Gandhi</a> had defeated Irani but by a narrow margin of over a lakh votes. Gandhi, who also contested from Wayanad in Kerala, won the seat by more than eight lakh votes.

The regional satraps, meanwhile, were able holding on to their forts. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is ahead of Bhojpuri singer Nirahua in Azamgarh seat, his father and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav is leading from Mainpuri. Another SP heavyweight Azam Khan is fighting a close battle against actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada from Rampur.

In Bihar, the BJP-led NDA is leading in 38 of the state's 40 seats. The party is in alliance with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) and Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in Bihar. As per the seat-sharing agreement between the three parties, the BJP and JD(U) fought on 17 seats each and LJP on six. In the opposition Mahagathbandhan, the RJD has contested 19 seats giving up Arrah from its quota for the CPI (ML), followed by Congress (09), RLSP (05), HAM (03) and VIP (03).

In the high-stakes battle between Union minister Giriraj Singh and former JNU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Singh emerged victorious.

Watch: BJP party workers celebrate in West Bengal and Mumbai

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The most-watched state in the election clearly was West Bengal where the BJP was pitted against Trinamool Congress. What made the electoral battle interesting was the skirmishes reported from different parts of the state between TMC and BJP workers. The workers of both parties accused each other of electoral malpractices and violence. Most of the exit polls had predicted an unprecedented surge of the BJP in Bengal this election, BJP president Amit Shah had even said that the party will win 23 seats in Bengal. The predictions seem to be very close to the current tally on the BJP - it is leading in 18 of the state's 42 Lok Sabha seats. In 2014, last time it had just won two. The TMC, meanwhile, won 24.

Celebrations began at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi shortly after trends indicated that the party has already crossed the halfway mark of 272. BJP workers danced and distributed sweets among themselves.

Most of the exit polls on Sunday had predicted a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-2019-look-forward-to-working-for-peace-progress-and-prosperity-in-south-asia-imran-khan-congratulates-pm-modi-220992">win for Narendra Modi</a>-led NDA - some had even said that the victory margin will be a record.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is on course to win the 2019 Lok Sabha handsomely. The NDA is so far leading on 348 seats out of 542 on which the polls were held; the BJP's tally stood at 286.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is on course to win the 2019 Lok Sabha handsomely. The NDA is so far leading on 348 seats out of 542 on which the polls were held; the BJP's tally stood at 286. This is four more than the party's 2014 tally. Thank you India! The faith placed in our alliance is humbling and gives us strength to work even harder to fulfil people's aspirations. I salute every BJP Karyakarta for their determination, perseverance & hardwork. They went home to home, elaborating on our development agenda. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2019 × BJP's victory was evident from the moment counting began at 8am on Thursday. The BJP's graph kept climbing leaps and bounds and by 9.30am, had crossed the halfway mark of 272 making it clear that the party is again going to form the government at the Centre under the leadership of Narendra Modi. The BJP grabbed the pole position riding on the back of massive gains it made in north Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi - the Hindi heartland of India. Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state and one with the highest number of Lok Sabha seats - 80 - is ready to hand over 59 seats to NDA. Though it is less than its 2014 tally of 71, the party has still managed to emerge as the single largest party in the state against the combined challenge of Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The 'Mahagathbandhan' is so far leading on 20 seats in UP. Among the most shocking upset of this election came from Amethi, where Congress president Rahul Gandhi lost against BJP's Smriti Irani by 35,000 votes. In 2014, Rahul Gandhi had defeated Irani but by a narrow margin of over a lakh votes. Gandhi, who also contested from Wayanad in Kerala, won the seat by more than eight lakh votes. The regional satraps, meanwhile, were able holding on to their forts. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is ahead of Bhojpuri singer Nirahua in Azamgarh seat, his father and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav is leading from Mainpuri. Another SP heavyweight Azam Khan is fighting a close battle against actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada from Rampur. In Bihar, the BJP-led NDA is leading in 38 of the state's 40 seats. The party is in alliance with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) and Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in Bihar. As per the seat-sharing agreement between the three parties, the BJP and JD(U) fought on 17 seats each and LJP on six. In the opposition Mahagathbandhan, the RJD has contested 19 seats giving up Arrah from its quota for the CPI (ML), followed by Congress (09), RLSP (05), HAM (03) and VIP (03). In the high-stakes battle between Union minister Giriraj Singh and former JNU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Singh emerged victorious. Watch: BJP party workers celebrate in West Bengal and Mumbai The most-watched state in the election clearly was West Bengal where the BJP was pitted against Trinamool Congress. What made the electoral battle interesting was the skirmishes reported from different parts of the state between TMC and BJP workers. The workers of both parties accused each other of electoral malpractices and violence. Most of the exit polls had predicted an unprecedented surge of the BJP in Bengal this election, BJP president Amit Shah had even said that the party will win 23 seats in Bengal. The predictions seem to be very close to the current tally on the BJP - it is leading in 18 of the state's 42 Lok Sabha seats. In 2014, last time it had just won two. The TMC, meanwhile, won 24. Celebrations began at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi shortly after trends indicated that the party has already crossed the halfway mark of 272. BJP workers danced and distributed sweets among themselves. Most of the exit polls on Sunday had predicted a win for Narendra Modi-led NDA - some had even said that the victory margin will be a record.

Lok Sabha election results 2019: Modi wave sweeps India again, NDA poised to win Lok Sabha elections

The final result of the mega electoral exercise to elect the world's largest democracy will be announced on Thursday. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-polls-2019-fate-of-724-women-candidates-to-be-decided-tomorrow-220590">Counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections</a> will begin at 8 am today and the clear picture of who will lead the nation for the next five years will emerge in the evening.&nbsp;

Over 8,000 candidates

More than 8,000 candidates were in the fray for 542 seats across the nation. 67.11 per cent of the 90.99 crore electors had cast their vote in the seven-phase elections.

Late result expected&nbsp;

It is suggested that the counting of votes and the announcement of results may get delayed due to tallying of voter-verified paper audit trail slips with EVM count. The exercise will take place for the first time.

The exercise will take place in five polling stations per assembly segment which effectively means that out of nearly 10.3 lakh polling stations, the EVM-VVPAT matching will take place in 20600 such stations, news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

What happens in case of a mismatch?

In such a situation, the results based on paper slip count will be considered as final.

The entire exercise of EVM-Paper trail machine matching will take an additional four to five hours.

What exit polls say

With the final phase of polling of the seven-phased Lok Sabha elections coming to an end on May 19, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/exit-polls-2019-pm-modi-returning-to-power-with-300-plus-seats-say-pollsters-219927">exit polls predicted a thumping win for the Bharatiya Janata Party</a> in the Lok Sabha polls.&nbsp;

The party, along with its allies, is predicted to sweep a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/bjp-in-countrys-hindi-heartland-exit-polls-spell-thumping-victory-for-party-in-madhya-pradesh-4-other-states-219985">lion's share of the Hindi heartland</a> of the nation including states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar as well as the national capital.&nbsp;

Pollsters predicted a considerable loss for Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in terms of seat share in the state, though she is predicted to keep the majority. The BJP, which fared poorly in 2014 in the state is suggested to win seats in double-digit. &nbsp;

The opposition

The opposition has dubbed the exit polls as wrong with many leaders rubbishing what the pollsters have predicted.

Eminent opposition leaders like <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/chandrababu-naidu-calls-on-mamata-banerjee-discusses-formation-of-non-bjp-government-220201">Chandrababu Naidu, Mamata Banerjee</a>, Akhilesh Yadav, Sitaram Yechury and Mayawati among others were seen scurrying around this week to meet one another and discuss post-poll strategy.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/at-nda-meeting-pm-modi-expresses-concern-over-needless-controversy-over-evms-by-opposition-220526">NDA's resolution</a>

PM Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah held a meeting with Union council of ministers on Tuesday which was later on followed by a dinner for NDA allies hoster by Shah.&nbsp;

At the BJP-led ruling alliance meeting, which was attended by 36 parties, a resolution was passed, terming the 2019 general election decisive for the country and pledging to make India "strong, developed, prosperous and inclusive" by 2022 when India completes 75 years of its independence, party leader and Union minister Rajnath Singh told reporters.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/nifty-sensex-to-climb-a-bit-more-if-pm-modi-wins-decisively-poll-220553">Election result and stock market</a>

Analysts suggest the stock markets soar further if PM Modi makes a comeback for the second term.&nbsp;

The BSE Sensex index rose by its biggest amount in one day since September 2013 on Monday after exit polls showed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain power for a second consecutive term.

The final result of the mega electoral exercise to elect the world's largest democracy will be announced on Thursday. Counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections will begin at 8 am today and the clear picture of who will lead the nation for the next five years will emerge in the evening.

The final result of the mega electoral exercise to elect the world's largest democracy will be announced on Thursday. Counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections will begin at 8 am today and the clear picture of who will lead the nation for the next five years will emerge in the evening. Over 8,000 candidates More than 8,000 candidates were in the fray for 542 seats across the nation. 67.11 per cent of the 90.99 crore electors had cast their vote in the seven-phase elections. Late result expected It is suggested that the counting of votes and the announcement of results may get delayed due to tallying of voter-verified paper audit trail slips with EVM count. The exercise will take place for the first time. The exercise will take place in five polling stations per assembly segment which effectively means that out of nearly 10.3 lakh polling stations, the EVM-VVPAT matching will take place in 20600 such stations, news agency PTI reported. What happens in case of a mismatch? In such a situation, the results based on paper slip count will be considered as final. The entire exercise of EVM-Paper trail machine matching will take an additional four to five hours. What exit polls say With the final phase of polling of the seven-phased Lok Sabha elections coming to an end on May 19, exit polls predicted a thumping win for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Lok Sabha polls. The party, along with its allies, is predicted to sweep a lion's share of the Hindi heartland of the nation including states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar as well as the national capital. Pollsters predicted a considerable loss for Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in terms of seat share in the state, though she is predicted to keep the majority. The BJP, which fared poorly in 2014 in the state is suggested to win seats in double-digit. The opposition The opposition has dubbed the exit polls as wrong with many leaders rubbishing what the pollsters have predicted. Eminent opposition leaders like Chandrababu Naidu, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Sitaram Yechury and Mayawati among others were seen scurrying around this week to meet one another and discuss post-poll strategy. NDA's resolution PM Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah held a meeting with Union council of ministers on Tuesday which was later on followed by a dinner for NDA allies hoster by Shah. At the BJP-led ruling alliance meeting, which was attended by 36 parties, a resolution was passed, terming the 2019 general election decisive for the country and pledging to make India "strong, developed, prosperous and inclusive" by 2022 when India completes 75 years of its independence, party leader and Union minister Rajnath Singh told reporters. Election result and stock market Analysts suggest the stock markets soar further if PM Modi makes a comeback for the second term. The BSE Sensex index rose by its biggest amount in one day since September 2013 on Monday after exit polls showed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain power for a second consecutive term.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Nation's next government to be decided as counting of votes to take place today

Get set, count! EC has begun with the process that would ultimately decide which party and alliance could form the next government in the country. Bollywood actors congratulate PM Modi

Lok Sabha Election 2019: Bollywood actors congratulate PM Modi

The BJP and its ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) are leading in 61 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, according to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/">Election Commission trends</a> at 3.30 pm.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading by a huge margin of over 4 lakh votes in Varanasi against Samajwadi Party candidate Shalini Yadav.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi continued to trail in Amethi, where Union minister and BJP candidate Smriti Irani is leading by over 16,000 votes.

The BJP is ahead in 60 seats and Apna Dal (S) in one seat. The SP-BSP-RLD alliance is leading in 18 seats. Mayawati's BSP is ahead in 12 seats, while Akhilesh Yadav's SP is leading in six seats.

The Congress is leading on only one seat, Rae Bareli, where UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is ahead of the BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh by over 1.16 lakh votes.

In pics:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/lok-sabha-election-result-2019-bjp-heads-to-historic-win-as-modi-wave-sweeps-india-220967">BJP heads to historic win as Modi wave sweeps India</a>

RLD chief Ajit Singh and his son, Jayant Chowdhury, are trailing from Muzaffarnagar and Baghpat respectively.

It was mixed fortune for the Yadav clan, with two senior leaders Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav maintaining their leads.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is leading by over 1.2 lakh votes in Azamgarh, while his father and SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav is ahead by nearly 28,000 votes.

Akhilesh Yadav's cousins, Dharmendra Yadav and Akshay Yadav, and wife Dimple Yadav are trailing respectively from Badaun, Firozabad and Kannauj seats.

SP leader Azam Khan is leading in Rampur by over 1.4 lakh votes over BJP candidate Jaya Prada, who switched sides from the SP to join the saffron party ahead of the Lok Sabha election.

Kunwar Danish Ali, who joined the BSP after leaving the JDS, is leading by over 60,000 votes in Amroha.

State BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey is leading by more than 9,000 votes in Chandauli.

Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Santosh Gangwar are leading in their respective seats of Lucknow and Bareily. But another Union minister, Manoj Sinha, was trailing in Ghazipur, where mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari's brother, Afzal Ansari, of the BSP is leading by over 45,000 votes.

In Gorakhpur and Phulpur, where the Opposition had unseated the BJP in bypolls, the saffron party appeared to be taking a sweet revenge by leading at both the places.

Kairana was, however, an exception where sitting Samajwadi Party MP Tabassum Begum is maintaining a lead over the BJP, which had lost in a bypoll to Begum.

Watch:&nbsp;BJP workers welcome Amit Shah at party headquarters after BJP's stellar performance&nbsp;

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Sitting BJP MP Hema Malini is leading by 2 lakh votes against SP-BSP-RLD alliance candidate Kunwar Narendra Singh in Mathura.&nbsp;

The BJP and its ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) are leading in 61 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, according to Election Commission trends at 3.30 pm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading by a huge margin of over 4 lakh votes in Varanasi against Samajwadi Party candidate Shalini Yadav.

The BJP and its ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) are leading in 61 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, according to Election Commission trends at 3.30 pm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading by a huge margin of over 4 lakh votes in Varanasi against Samajwadi Party candidate Shalini Yadav. Congress president Rahul Gandhi continued to trail in Amethi, where Union minister and BJP candidate Smriti Irani is leading by over 16,000 votes. The BJP is ahead in 60 seats and Apna Dal (S) in one seat. The SP-BSP-RLD alliance is leading in 18 seats. Mayawati's BSP is ahead in 12 seats, while Akhilesh Yadav's SP is leading in six seats. The Congress is leading on only one seat, Rae Bareli, where UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is ahead of the BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh by over 1.16 lakh votes. In pics: BJP heads to historic win as Modi wave sweeps India RLD chief Ajit Singh and his son, Jayant Chowdhury, are trailing from Muzaffarnagar and Baghpat respectively. It was mixed fortune for the Yadav clan, with two senior leaders Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav maintaining their leads. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is leading by over 1.2 lakh votes in Azamgarh, while his father and SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav is ahead by nearly 28,000 votes. Akhilesh Yadav's cousins, Dharmendra Yadav and Akshay Yadav, and wife Dimple Yadav are trailing respectively from Badaun, Firozabad and Kannauj seats. SP leader Azam Khan is leading in Rampur by over 1.4 lakh votes over BJP candidate Jaya Prada, who switched sides from the SP to join the saffron party ahead of the Lok Sabha election. Kunwar Danish Ali, who joined the BSP after leaving the JDS, is leading by over 60,000 votes in Amroha. State BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey is leading by more than 9,000 votes in Chandauli. Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Santosh Gangwar are leading in their respective seats of Lucknow and Bareily. But another Union minister, Manoj Sinha, was trailing in Ghazipur, where mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari's brother, Afzal Ansari, of the BSP is leading by over 45,000 votes. In Gorakhpur and Phulpur, where the Opposition had unseated the BJP in bypolls, the saffron party appeared to be taking a sweet revenge by leading at both the places. Kairana was, however, an exception where sitting Samajwadi Party MP Tabassum Begum is maintaining a lead over the BJP, which had lost in a bypoll to Begum. Watch: BJP workers welcome Amit Shah at party headquarters after BJP's stellar performance × Sitting BJP MP Hema Malini is leading by 2 lakh votes against SP-BSP-RLD alliance candidate Kunwar Narendra Singh in Mathura.

Lok Sabha election results 2019: BJP, ally maintain lead over rivals in Uttar Pradesh

Get set, count! EC has begun with the process that would ultimately decide which party and alliance could form the next government in the country. BJP-Shiv sena leading in all Mumbai seats

Lok Sabha Election 2019: BJP-Shiv Sena leading in all Mumbai seats

As the entire nation awaits results of the general elections 2019 and with trends hinting at Bharatiya Janata Party coming back to power for a second term with a major lead, actor Vivek Oberoi spoke to WION about his film ‘PM Narendra Modi’, a biopic on the Indian prime minister that is slated to release tomorrow on May 24.

Vivek Oberoi speaks to WION about Modi biopic and general elections

BJP party workers celebrate in West Bengal and Mumbai

JDS spokesperson Tanveer Ahmed spoke exclusive to WION

Difficult days to come in Karnataka: Tanveer Ahmed on Lok Sabha poll results

The Shiv Sena Thursday lavished praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/">BJP-led NDA appeared to be retaining power comfortably</a>, saying nobody would be able to pose a challenge before him for the next 25 years.&nbsp;

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party had often criticised the BJP in the last five years but eventually sealed a fresh alliance with it ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.&nbsp;

Sena MP Sanjay Raut said that people had given a befitting reply to opposition parties who created "an atmosphere of illusion" against Modi over issues such as the Rafale fighter jet deal.

In pics:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/lok-sabha-election-result-2019-bjp-heads-to-historic-win-as-modi-wave-sweeps-india-220967">BJP heads to historic win as Modi wave sweeps India</a>

"The entire country is 'Modi-may' (in thrall of Modi)," Raut, who edits the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana', told reporters here.

"The truth has to be accepted that no one could counter Modi. Today's mandate is such that no one can counter (Modi) for the next 25 years," Raut added.

The Rajya Sabha member observed that the BJP-led NDA is doing well also in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where the Congress had won Assembly polls last year.

"The country has reposed faith in Narendra Modi's leadership for the next five years. He will take the country even further in five years," he added.

Watch:&nbsp;BJP workers welcome Amit Shah at party headquarters after BJP's stellar performance&nbsp;

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According to the trends made available by the Election Commission, the BJP was leading in 300 seats across the country. In Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to the Lok Sabha, the BJP and Shiv Sena were marching ahead in 23 and 18 seats, respectively.&nbsp;

The Shiv Sena Thursday lavished praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the BJP-led NDA appeared to be retaining power comfortably, saying nobody would be able to pose a challenge before him for the next 25 years.

The Shiv Sena Thursday lavished praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the BJP-led NDA appeared to be retaining power comfortably, saying nobody would be able to pose a challenge before him for the next 25 years. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party had often criticised the BJP in the last five years but eventually sealed a fresh alliance with it ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Sena MP Sanjay Raut said that people had given a befitting reply to opposition parties who created "an atmosphere of illusion" against Modi over issues such as the Rafale fighter jet deal. In pics: BJP heads to historic win as Modi wave sweeps India "The entire country is 'Modi-may' (in thrall of Modi)," Raut, who edits the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana', told reporters here. "The truth has to be accepted that no one could counter Modi. Today's mandate is such that no one can counter (Modi) for the next 25 years," Raut added. The Rajya Sabha member observed that the BJP-led NDA is doing well also in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where the Congress had won Assembly polls last year. "The country has reposed faith in Narendra Modi's leadership for the next five years. He will take the country even further in five years," he added. Watch: BJP workers welcome Amit Shah at party headquarters after BJP's stellar performance × According to the trends made available by the Election Commission, the BJP was leading in 300 seats across the country. In Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to the Lok Sabha, the BJP and Shiv Sena were marching ahead in 23 and 18 seats, respectively.

Lok Sabha election results 2019: Nobody can counter Modi for next 25 years, says Shiv Sena

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