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 Rajyavardhan Rathore leading in Jaipur; Congress' Raj Babbar trailing in Fatehpur-Sikri

BJP's Rajyavardhan Rathore leading in Jaipur; Congress' Raj Babbar trailing in Fatehpur-Sikri

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 leader Sashi Tharoor trailing in Thiruvananthapuram

Lok Sabha 2019 Results: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor trailing in Thiruvananthapuram

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. BJP President Amit Shah leading from Gandhinagar

Lok Sabha 2019 Results: BJP President Amit Shah leading from Gandhinagar

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 President Rahul Gandhi leading from Wayanad

Lok Sabha 2019 Results: Congress President Rahul Gandhi leading from Wayanad

PM Modi has arrived at BJP Headquarter at New Delhi after today result session of Lok Sabha Election 2019.

Breaking: PM Modi arrives at BJP Headquarter, New Delhi

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. Hundreds of BJP workers gathered for victory celebration at BJP HQ.

Lok Sabha Election 2019: Hundreds of BJP workers gathered for victory celebration at BJP HQ

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. Nitish Kumar says, ''People have expressed what they were having in their heart.''

Lok Sabha Election 2019: Nitish Kumar Says, ''People Expressed What They Had In Their Heart''

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. Nitish kumar secures all 17 LS seats in Bihar.

Lok Sabha Election 2019: Nitish kumar secures all 17 LS seats in Bihar

Focus on Naidu's failures, breakdown of law and order and corruption in TDP

Jaganmohan Reddy: Andhra's new kingmaker

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.

Congress formulates Karnataka style strategy; In touch with regional parties

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

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 wishes PM Modi & BJP by posting a tweet.

Lok Sabha Election 2019: Congress wishes PM Modi & BJP by posting a tweet

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 Ex CM Maharashtra Mr. Prithviraj Chavan | Lok Sabha Election Results 2019

WION Exclusive | In conversation with Prithviraj Chavan | Lok Sabha Election Results 2019

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. PM Modi's Tweet, 'Keep this spirit alive at every moment.'

Lok Sabha Election 2019: PM Modi's Tweet, 'Keep this spirit alive at every moment'

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 concedes defeat in Amethi.

Lok Sabha Election 2019: Rahul Gandhi concedes defeat in Amethi

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. Nitin Gadkari says, ''Opposition should never forget its roles for Democracy''

Opposition should never forget its role in democracy: Nitin Gadkari

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

The United States Wednesday said that it was confident in the fairness and integrity of the <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">Indian elections</a> and would work with whoever is the victor.&nbsp;

"I would say from the US perspective, we are very confident in the fairness and the integrity of the Indian elections, and we will obviously work with whoever is the victor and whatever the outcome is there," State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus told reporters during an off-camera gaggle here.

Unlike other countries, the US does not send its election observers to India because of the strong independent <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/foreign-media-on-exit-polls-predicting-second-term-for-bjp-219997">credentials of the Election Commission</a> of India.&nbsp;

"We have a very strong relationship and a lot of cooperation with the Indian government on a full range of issues, and the Secretary (of State, Mike Pompeo) has said numerous times that we have a true strategic partner in India," Ortagus said in response to a question.

The diplomat praised India and its people for carrying out such a massive exercise peacefully, describing it as fascinating. "Someone pointed this out to me today that India's election is the largest exercise in democracy in human history," she said.

"I think with everything going on in the world, that's a thing that we can pause and think about and certainly commend the Indian people," Ortagus added.

The Washington Post had on Wednesday said that the Indian election was the largest democratic exercise in the world.

"With about 900 million eligible voters, the size of the electorate had swelled by more than 80 million compared to 2014. In that election, 550 million people ultimately cast votes," it had said.

Richard M Rossow, Wadhwani Chair in US India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank, said the next Indian government will have a difficult time managing ties with the United States.&nbsp;

"A dual-track approach is quite clear,&nbsp;continued progress in deepening our security relationship while simultaneously engaging in a wider trade fight," Rossow said.&nbsp;

"Too often this trade fight is attributed mainly to the United States. This is unfair, as the Modi government took significant steps to slow imports in recent years, such as increasing customs duties and initiating new local content mandates for government procurement," Rossow told PTI in response to a question.&nbsp;

He said while the next government in India might trigger fresh reforms early in its tenure, they are likely to be more focused on attracting foreign investment rather than taking steps that could increase imports.&nbsp;

"Investment-oriented reforms are unlikely to assuage US trade policy concerns. So this dual-track approach is likely to persist post-election," Rossow added.

A New York Times editorial piece said the election had become a sweeping referendum on the last five years of governance by Narendra Modi, the country's dominant and divisive prime minister.

It is also likely to be the world's most expensive elections, with parties estimated to have spent a total of as much as $7 billion, it read.

According to The Washington Post, the result of this election will be pivotal to the future of India, soon to become the world's most populous nation.&nbsp;

"India is attempting to catch up in economic terms with China, its neighbour to the east, a pursuit that requires massive investment in infrastructure and significant policy change. At the same time, the country is also deciding what kind of democracy it wants to be," the daily said.

In a news dispatch from New Delhi, The Wall Street Journal reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears on track for a second term if exit polls bear out, "but less clear to investors and executives is which version of Mr Modi would take charge,&nbsp;the business-friendly leader or the divisive nationalist."&nbsp;

The United States Wednesday said that it was confident in the fairness and integrity of the Indian elections and would work with whoever is the victor. "I would say from the US perspective, we are very confident in the fairness and the integrity of the Indian elections, and we will obviously work with whoever is the victor and whatever the outcome is there," State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus told reporters during an off-camera gaggle here.

The United States Wednesday said that it was confident in the fairness and integrity of the Indian elections and would work with whoever is the victor. "I would say from the US perspective, we are very confident in the fairness and the integrity of the Indian elections, and we will obviously work with whoever is the victor and whatever the outcome is there," State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus told reporters during an off-camera gaggle here. Unlike other countries, the US does not send its election observers to India because of the strong independent credentials of the Election Commission of India. "We have a very strong relationship and a lot of cooperation with the Indian government on a full range of issues, and the Secretary (of State, Mike Pompeo) has said numerous times that we have a true strategic partner in India," Ortagus said in response to a question. The diplomat praised India and its people for carrying out such a massive exercise peacefully, describing it as fascinating. "Someone pointed this out to me today that India's election is the largest exercise in democracy in human history," she said. "I think with everything going on in the world, that's a thing that we can pause and think about and certainly commend the Indian people," Ortagus added. The Washington Post had on Wednesday said that the Indian election was the largest democratic exercise in the world. "With about 900 million eligible voters, the size of the electorate had swelled by more than 80 million compared to 2014. In that election, 550 million people ultimately cast votes," it had said. Richard M Rossow, Wadhwani Chair in US India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank, said the next Indian government will have a difficult time managing ties with the United States. "A dual-track approach is quite clear, continued progress in deepening our security relationship while simultaneously engaging in a wider trade fight," Rossow said. "Too often this trade fight is attributed mainly to the United States. This is unfair, as the Modi government took significant steps to slow imports in recent years, such as increasing customs duties and initiating new local content mandates for government procurement," Rossow told PTI in response to a question. He said while the next government in India might trigger fresh reforms early in its tenure, they are likely to be more focused on attracting foreign investment rather than taking steps that could increase imports. "Investment-oriented reforms are unlikely to assuage US trade policy concerns. So this dual-track approach is likely to persist post-election," Rossow added. A New York Times editorial piece said the election had become a sweeping referendum on the last five years of governance by Narendra Modi, the country's dominant and divisive prime minister. It is also likely to be the world's most expensive elections, with parties estimated to have spent a total of as much as $7 billion, it read. According to The Washington Post, the result of this election will be pivotal to the future of India, soon to become the world's most populous nation. "India is attempting to catch up in economic terms with China, its neighbour to the east, a pursuit that requires massive investment in infrastructure and significant policy change. At the same time, the country is also deciding what kind of democracy it wants to be," the daily said. In a news dispatch from New Delhi, The Wall Street Journal reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears on track for a second term if exit polls bear out, "but less clear to investors and executives is which version of Mr Modi would take charge, the business-friendly leader or the divisive nationalist."

Lok Sabha polls 2019: US says it is confident about fairness, integrity of Indian elections

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

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

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. Kirron Kher thanks public & her senior leadership.

Lok Sabha Election 2019: Kirron Kher thanks public & her senior leadership

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. Pak PM Imran Khan congratulates PM Modi

Lok Sabha Election 2019: Pak PM Imran Khan congratulates PM Modi

The Election Commission on Wednesday came up with a new IT-based initiative to provide real-time trends and <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">results of the counting of the votes</a> on May 23.

"Trends and results will be available on the ECI website as well as on the Voter Helpline App available on both Android and iOS," said the Election Commission.

The dissemination of information will start from 8 am on the counting day and will be continuously updated, said the commission.

The app boasts of a number of innovative features including an option to bookmark one's favourite candidate from a constituency and track her/his result exclusively said the commission.

"Users with the help of filters can find out the winning/leading or trailing candidate details, along with the constituency-wise or state-wise results from the app," said the commission.

The final result of the mega electoral exercise to elect the world's largest democracy will be announced today.&nbsp;

<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>&nbsp;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;

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.

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.

&nbsp;

The Election Commission on Wednesday came up with a new IT-based initiative to provide real-time trends and results of the counting of the votes on May 23. "Trends and results will be available on the ECI website as well as on the Voter Helpline App available on both Android and iOS," said the Election Commission.

The Election Commission on Wednesday came up with a new IT-based initiative to provide real-time trends and results of the counting of the votes on May 23. "Trends and results will be available on the ECI website as well as on the Voter Helpline App available on both Android and iOS," said the Election Commission. The dissemination of information will start from 8 am on the counting day and will be continuously updated, said the commission. The app boasts of a number of innovative features including an option to bookmark one's favourite candidate from a constituency and track her/his result exclusively said the commission. "Users with the help of filters can find out the winning/leading or trailing candidate details, along with the constituency-wise or state-wise results from the app," said the commission. The final result of the mega electoral exercise to elect the world's largest democracy will be announced today. 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. 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. 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.

Election Commission launches a special app for voters to track election results today

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