<p>The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/bjp-surges-ahead-with-319-seats-in-early-trends-congress-trails-far-behind-with-105-220814">BJP is leading the trends </a>in all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, with the Congress trailing in five constituencies and the AAP in two seats, poll officials said.</p>

<p>Debutant Gautam Gambhir, Union minister Harsh Vardhan and sitting lawmaker Manoj Tiwari of the Bharatiya Janata Party were among early gainers.</p>

<p>Congress veteran Sheila Dikshit was on second spot behind Tiwari, by a margin of 29,797 votes in North East Delhi while former MP J P Agarwal, pitted against Vardhan in Chandni Chowk constituency, was trailing by 8,764 votes.</p>

<p>Get LIVE updates here.</p>

<p>Agarwal has alleged that strongrooms were opened in "absence" of his counting agents.</p>

<p>Sitting BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma was leading against his Congress rival Mahabal Mishra by 37,387 votes in the West Delhi Lok Sabha seat, they said.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">Watch:&nbsp;WION Exclusive | In conversation with Dr. Harshvardhan | Lok Sabha Election Results 2019 | Counting Day</a></p>

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<p>BJP candidates were also leading in New Delhi, South Delhi and North West Delhi parliamentary constituencies.</p>

<p>Cricketer-turned-BJP leader Gambhir was leading in East Delhi against Congress' Arvinder Singh Lovely by a margin 18,632 votes.</p>

<p>Sitting MP Ramesh Bidhuri was leading against his AAP rival Raghav Chadha by 30,755 votes in the South Delhi Lok Sabha seat, officials said.</p>

<p>Sitting New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi was ahead of Congress' Ajay Maken by a margin of 10,486 votes.</p>

<p>In North West Delhi, saffron party's Hans Raj Hans was ahead of AAP's Gagan Singh by 46,379 votes, they said.</p>

<p>AAP North East Delhi candidate Dilip Pandey told reporters that people to not make any judgement on the basis of initial trends, as "it will not be apt".</p>

<p>Counting is underway for all seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi to decide the fate of 164 candidates, who contested the Lok Sabha elections here on May 12.</p>

<p>Over 1.43 crore people were eligible to vote in the polls in Delhi, out of which 60.21 per cent had exercised their franchise.</p>

<p>The elections for the seven parliamentary seats were largely a triangular contest among the incumbent BJP, a spirited Congress and the AAP - the ruling party in Delhi.</p>

<p>Prominent names who were in the fray include former Delhi chief minister Dikshit, Union Minister Vardhan and cricketer-turned-politician Gambhir.</p>

<p>Olympian boxer Vijender Singh (South Delhi), who made his electoral debut, and AAP's Atishi are also among the candidates in Delhi.</p>

<p>While the BJP, which had won all seven seats in the 2014 polls, is keen to regain the turf, the Congress, that ended up at the third spot in the last Lok Sabha elections, is looking to bounce back.&nbsp;</p>


The BJP is leading the trends in all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, with the Congress trailing in five constituencies and the AAP in two seats, poll officials said.

The BJP is leading the trends in all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, with the Congress trailing in five constituencies and the AAP in two seats, poll officials said. Debutant Gautam Gambhir, Union minister Harsh Vardhan and sitting lawmaker Manoj Tiwari of the Bharatiya Janata Party were among early gainers. Congress veteran Sheila Dikshit was on second spot behind Tiwari, by a margin of 29,797 votes in North East Delhi while former MP J P Agarwal, pitted against Vardhan in Chandni Chowk constituency, was trailing by 8,764 votes. Get LIVE updates here. Agarwal has alleged that strongrooms were opened in "absence" of his counting agents. Sitting BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma was leading against his Congress rival Mahabal Mishra by 37,387 votes in the West Delhi Lok Sabha seat, they said. Watch: WION Exclusive | In conversation with Dr. Harshvardhan | Lok Sabha Election Results 2019 | Counting Day BJP candidates were also leading in New Delhi, South Delhi and North West Delhi parliamentary constituencies. Cricketer-turned-BJP leader Gambhir was leading in East Delhi against Congress' Arvinder Singh Lovely by a margin 18,632 votes. Sitting MP Ramesh Bidhuri was leading against his AAP rival Raghav Chadha by 30,755 votes in the South Delhi Lok Sabha seat, officials said. Sitting New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi was ahead of Congress' Ajay Maken by a margin of 10,486 votes. In North West Delhi, saffron party's Hans Raj Hans was ahead of AAP's Gagan Singh by 46,379 votes, they said. AAP North East Delhi candidate Dilip Pandey told reporters that people to not make any judgement on the basis of initial trends, as "it will not be apt". Counting is underway for all seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi to decide the fate of 164 candidates, who contested the Lok Sabha elections here on May 12. Over 1.43 crore people were eligible to vote in the polls in Delhi, out of which 60.21 per cent had exercised their franchise. The elections for the seven parliamentary seats were largely a triangular contest among the incumbent BJP, a spirited Congress and the AAP - the ruling party in Delhi. Prominent names who were in the fray include former Delhi chief minister Dikshit, Union Minister Vardhan and cricketer-turned-politician Gambhir. Olympian boxer Vijender Singh (South Delhi), who made his electoral debut, and AAP's Atishi are also among the candidates in Delhi. While the BJP, which had won all seven seats in the 2014 polls, is keen to regain the turf, the Congress, that ended up at the third spot in the last Lok Sabha elections, is looking to bounce back.

Lok Sabha election result 2019: BJP leads in all seven seats in Delhi

<p>"It is time for Congress to get an Amit Shah," former Jammu-Kashmir Chief Minister and once an ally of BJP, Mehbooba Mufti said in a tweet as the trends showed BJP, led by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-result-2019-bjp-leaders-react-to-landslide-win-of-pm-narendra-modi-220885">Amit Shah</a>, headed for yet another <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">stellar victory in the Lok Sabha polls</a>.</p>

<p>Indeed, as the captain of the winning team, Shah deserves credit for turning the party into an election-winning machine.</p>

<p>With one Lok Sabha election&nbsp;and assembly polls of Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, Jammu-Kashmir, Assam, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, his record as the BJP president has been unmatchable.</p>

<p>Shah took over as the BJP president soon after NDA emerged victorious in 2014 general elections. A trusted lieutenant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he was appointed party in-charge of Uttar Pradesh just ahead of the 2014 national elections.</p>

<p>With his sharp organisational skill and political acumen, Shah helped the party and its allies win 73 out of 80 seats in the stat,e leading PM Modi to proclaim him as "man-of-the-match" of BJP's victory.</p>

<p>But his journey has not been as smooth as it seems. Shah was born in Mumbai in 1964. He was brought up at his paternal village in Maansa, Gujarat till the age of 16.</p>

<p>According to his website, as a young boy, he was always inspired by the stories of the great patriots of the nation and dreamt of working for the progress of the motherland.</p>

<p>He was especially inspired and influenced by the nationalist spirit and vision of Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) and became its active member in Ahmedabad, it says.</p>

<p>Shah worked for Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of RSS for some time before he joined BJP in 1984-85. There, Shah was noted for his organisational skills and was appointed the national treasurer of Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha and subsequently the state secretary and state vice-president of the party in Gujarat.</p>

<p>With his excellent election management expertise, Shah managed the election campaign of BJP stalwart Lal Krishna Advani's election from Ahmedabad constituency in 1989. During these years, Shah came in contact with Narendra Modi- then a rising star in the BJP.</p>

<p>He and Narendra Modi, who was then an organisational secretary of the party in Gujarat, helped BJP mobilise its workers, which bore fruitful results for the BJP in subsequent elections.BJP came into power in Gujarat in 1995.</p>

<p>However, its government fell in 1997. According to the BJP president`s website, Shah successfully contested the Assembly Elections from Sarkhej that followed the BJP government's fall.BJP returned to power in the state with Narendra Modi as its Chief Minister in 2002.</p>

<p>Shah handled several key portfolios in the state government including the Home Ministry.</p>

<p>However, challenges grew for Shah in 2010 when he was jailed in Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case.</p>

<p>Later, a special CBI court dismissed the case. It is 2019 now and the BJP led by Shah is on its way to scripting history by becoming the first party in India, since 1971, to return with full majority.&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


"It is time for Congress to get an Amit Shah," former Jammu-Kashmir Chief Minister and once an ally of BJP, Mehbooba Mufti said in a tweet as the trends showed BJP, led by Amit Shah, headed for yet another stellar victory in the Lok Sabha polls.

"It is time for Congress to get an Amit Shah," former Jammu-Kashmir Chief Minister and once an ally of BJP, Mehbooba Mufti said in a tweet as the trends showed BJP, led by Amit Shah, headed for yet another stellar victory in the Lok Sabha polls. Indeed, as the captain of the winning team, Shah deserves credit for turning the party into an election-winning machine. With one Lok Sabha election and assembly polls of Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, Jammu-Kashmir, Assam, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, his record as the BJP president has been unmatchable. Shah took over as the BJP president soon after NDA emerged victorious in 2014 general elections. A trusted lieutenant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he was appointed party in-charge of Uttar Pradesh just ahead of the 2014 national elections. With his sharp organisational skill and political acumen, Shah helped the party and its allies win 73 out of 80 seats in the stat,e leading PM Modi to proclaim him as "man-of-the-match" of BJP's victory. But his journey has not been as smooth as it seems. Shah was born in Mumbai in 1964. He was brought up at his paternal village in Maansa, Gujarat till the age of 16. According to his website, as a young boy, he was always inspired by the stories of the great patriots of the nation and dreamt of working for the progress of the motherland. He was especially inspired and influenced by the nationalist spirit and vision of Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) and became its active member in Ahmedabad, it says. Shah worked for Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of RSS for some time before he joined BJP in 1984-85. There, Shah was noted for his organisational skills and was appointed the national treasurer of Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha and subsequently the state secretary and state vice-president of the party in Gujarat. With his excellent election management expertise, Shah managed the election campaign of BJP stalwart Lal Krishna Advani's election from Ahmedabad constituency in 1989. During these years, Shah came in contact with Narendra Modi- then a rising star in the BJP. He and Narendra Modi, who was then an organisational secretary of the party in Gujarat, helped BJP mobilise its workers, which bore fruitful results for the BJP in subsequent elections.BJP came into power in Gujarat in 1995. However, its government fell in 1997. According to the BJP president`s website, Shah successfully contested the Assembly Elections from Sarkhej that followed the BJP government's fall.BJP returned to power in the state with Narendra Modi as its Chief Minister in 2002. Shah handled several key portfolios in the state government including the Home Ministry. However, challenges grew for Shah in 2010 when he was jailed in Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. Later, a special CBI court dismissed the case. It is 2019 now and the BJP led by Shah is on its way to scripting history by becoming the first party in India, since 1971, to return with full majority.

The rise and rise of Amit Shah: His journey to becoming BJP's most successful president

<p>US President Donald Trump on Thursday took to Twitter and congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on <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">securing another term with a thumping majority</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Trump stated that "great things are in store for US-India partnership" with Modi's return.</p>

<p>"Congratulations to Prime Minister @NarendraModi and his BJP party on their BIG election victory! Great things are in store for the US-India partnership with the return of PM Modi at the helm. I look forward to continuing our important work together!" his tweet read.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congratulations to Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NarendraModi</a> and his BJP party on their BIG election victory! Great things are in store for the US-India partnership with the return of PM Modi at the helm. I look forward to continuing our important work together!</p>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1131609042227482625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also retained another term recently, also congratulated Modi and said that the only difference between their respective wins is that while <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/my-friend-you-dont-need-a-coalition-but-i-do-when-netanyahu-congratulated-pm-modi-in-phone-call-221104">Modi doesn't need a coalition to form the government</a>, Netanyahu does.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Calling Modi his "friend", Netanyahu said he hopes to meet soon after the government formation in both the countries is over. A video clip of Netanyahu's telephonic conversation with PM Modi was released by news agency ANI.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, Pakistan Prime Minister also <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">tweeted out a congratulatory post on BJP's win</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia," Khan's tweet read. &nbsp;</p>

<p>More than 20 world leaders congratulated PM Modi and he received calls from 13 world leaders - Bangladesh, Bhutan (the king and the PM), Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Russia, France, Japan, Australia, Mauritius, UAE and Israel.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>The prime minister promised to devote "every moment" of his life and "every fibre" of his being for the people of India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This is a mandate to form new India," PM Modi said in his victory speech.</p>

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US President Donald Trump on Thursday took to Twitter and congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on securing another term with a thumping majority. Trump stated that "great things are in store for US-India partnership" with Modi's return.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday took to Twitter and congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on securing another term with a thumping majority. Trump stated that "great things are in store for US-India partnership" with Modi's return. "Congratulations to Prime Minister @NarendraModi and his BJP party on their BIG election victory! Great things are in store for the US-India partnership with the return of PM Modi at the helm. I look forward to continuing our important work together!" his tweet read. Congratulations to Prime Minister @NarendraModi and his BJP party on their BIG election victory! Great things are in store for the US-India partnership with the return of PM Modi at the helm. I look forward to continuing our important work together! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 23, 2019 × Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also retained another term recently, also congratulated Modi and said that the only difference between their respective wins is that while Modi doesn't need a coalition to form the government, Netanyahu does. Calling Modi his "friend", Netanyahu said he hopes to meet soon after the government formation in both the countries is over. A video clip of Netanyahu's telephonic conversation with PM Modi was released by news agency ANI. Earlier in the day, Pakistan Prime Minister also tweeted out a congratulatory post on BJP's win. "I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia," Khan's tweet read. More than 20 world leaders congratulated PM Modi and he received calls from 13 world leaders - Bangladesh, Bhutan (the king and the PM), Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Russia, France, Japan, Australia, Mauritius, UAE and Israel. 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. ×

Great things in store for US-India partnership with PM Modi's return: US President Donald Trump 

<p>The benchmark BSE Sensex rallied over 800 points to cross the 40,000-mark while&nbsp;Nifty touched 12000 for the first time as trends showed return of NDA government.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The 30-share index zoomed over 900 points to hit an intra-day high of 40,012.35. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty spurted 265 points to touch a record 12,003.50.</p>

<p>Top Sensex gainers included Yes Bank, IndusInd Bank, L&amp;T, SBI, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, RIL and HDFC twins, surging up to 8 per cent.</p>

<p>While, Vedanta, ITC and TCS slipped up to 0.45 per cent.</p>

<p>According to traders, investor sentiment was boosted by initial trends that suggested a second term for the Narendra Modi-led NDA.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, foreign institutional investors sold equity worth Rs 965.02 crore on Wednesday, while domestic institutional investors sold shares to the tune of Rs 157.75 crore, provisional data available with stock exchanges showed.</p>

<p>Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in China, Japan and Korea were trading on a negative note in their respective early sessions.</p>


The benchmark BSE Sensex rallied over 800 points to cross the 40,000-mark while Nifty touched 12000 for the first time as trends showed return of NDA government.

The benchmark BSE Sensex rallied over 800 points to cross the 40,000-mark while Nifty touched 12000 for the first time as trends showed return of NDA government. The 30-share index zoomed over 900 points to hit an intra-day high of 40,012.35. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty spurted 265 points to touch a record 12,003.50. Top Sensex gainers included Yes Bank, IndusInd Bank, L&T, SBI, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, RIL and HDFC twins, surging up to 8 per cent. While, Vedanta, ITC and TCS slipped up to 0.45 per cent. According to traders, investor sentiment was boosted by initial trends that suggested a second term for the Narendra Modi-led NDA. Meanwhile, foreign institutional investors sold equity worth Rs 965.02 crore on Wednesday, while domestic institutional investors sold shares to the tune of Rs 157.75 crore, provisional data available with stock exchanges showed. Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in China, Japan and Korea were trading on a negative note in their respective early sessions.

Sensex crosses 40,000-mark as election trends show second term for Narendra Modi

<p>Wishes&nbsp;poured-in from all corners of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/world-leaders-congratulate-pm-modi-on-re-election-221092">world with leaders congratulating PM Modi</a> on registering a thumping victory in the Lok Sabha polls.</p>

<p>In a telephonic conversation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also retained another term recently, congratulated Modi and said that the only difference between their respective wins is that while Modi doesn't need a coalition to form the government, Netanyahu does.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Calling Modi his "friend", Netanyahu said he hopes to meet soon after the government formation in both the countries is over. A video clip of Netanyahu's telephonic conversation with PM Modi was released by news agency ANI.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, Pakistan Prime Minister also tweeted out 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">congratulatory post on BJP's win</a>.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today where he congratulated him, "Narendra, my friend, congratulations! What an enormous victory!" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ElectionResults2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ElectionResults2019</a> (Video courtesy: PM of Israel) <a href="https://t.co/5HoPkgv8Mt">pic.twitter.com/5HoPkgv8Mt</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1131598769521168384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>In his congratulatory message, Khan said that he looks forward to working with PM Modi "for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia".</p>

<p>"I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia," Khan's tweet read. &nbsp;</p>

<p>More than 20 world leaders congratulated PM Modi and he received calls from 13 world leaders - Bangladesh, Bhutan (the king and&nbsp;the PM), Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Russia, France, Japan, Australia, Mauritius, UAE and Israel.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>The prime minister promised to devote "every moment" of his life and "every fibre" of his being for the people of India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This is a mandate to form new India," PM Modi said in his victory speech.</p>

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Wishes poured-in from all corners of the world with leaders congratulating PM Modi on registering a thumping victory in the Lok Sabha polls. In a telephonic conversation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also retained another term recently, congratulated Modi and said that the only difference between their respective wins is that while Modi doesn't need a coalition to form the government, Netanyahu does.

Wishes poured-in from all corners of the world with leaders congratulating PM Modi on registering a thumping victory in the Lok Sabha polls. In a telephonic conversation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also retained another term recently, congratulated Modi and said that the only difference between their respective wins is that while Modi doesn't need a coalition to form the government, Netanyahu does. Calling Modi his "friend", Netanyahu said he hopes to meet soon after the government formation in both the countries is over. A video clip of Netanyahu's telephonic conversation with PM Modi was released by news agency ANI. Earlier in the day, Pakistan Prime Minister also tweeted out a congratulatory post on BJP's win. #WATCH: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today where he congratulated him, "Narendra, my friend, congratulations! What an enormous victory!" #ElectionResults2019 (Video courtesy: PM of Israel) pic.twitter.com/5HoPkgv8Mt — ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2019 × In his congratulatory message, Khan said that he looks forward to working with PM Modi "for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia". "I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia," Khan's tweet read. More than 20 world leaders congratulated PM Modi and he received calls from 13 world leaders - Bangladesh, Bhutan (the king and the PM), Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Russia, France, Japan, Australia, Mauritius, UAE and Israel. 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. ×

My friend, you don't need a coalition but I do: When Netanyahu congratulated PM Modi in phone call

<p>The BJP was on Thursday leading in 56 of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/bjp-surges-ahead-with-319-seats-in-early-trends-congress-trails-far-behind-with-105-220814">BSP-SP alliance</a> ahead in 20 seats, according to Election Commission trends.</p>

<p>The Bahujan Samaj Party was leading in 12 and the Samajwadi Party in seven while the Congress was ahead in two and the Apna Dal (Soneylal) in one.&nbsp;</p>

<p>BJP stalwarts, including Union ministers Maneka Gandhi in Sultanpur and Santosh Gangwar in Bareilly, were ahead of their rivals after the first round of counting of ballots polled in the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Election Commission office here said.&nbsp;See more updates:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">&nbsp;BJP leading on 269 seats as per election commission trends, Congress on 56</a></p>

<p>Officials said BJP's Varun Gandhi in Pilibhit and state minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi in Allahabad were ahead of their nearest rivals.</p>

<p>Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav forged ahead in Mainpuri and his son SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was leading in Azamgarh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav, who is seeking reelection from Kannauj was leading the table.</p>

<p>In 2014, BJP got 71 seats, the SP got five, the Congress two and the BSP none.</p>

<p>Counting for the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies across Uttar Pradesh began Thursday morning amidst tight security.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: In conversation with Dr. Harshvardhan on counting day</strong></p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>


The BJP was on Thursday leading in 56 of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats with the BSP-SP alliance ahead in 20 seats, according to Election Commission trends. The Bahujan Samaj Party was leading in 12 and the Samajwadi Party in seven while the Congress was ahead in two and the Apna Dal (Soneylal) in one.

The BJP was on Thursday leading in 56 of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats with the BSP-SP alliance ahead in 20 seats, according to Election Commission trends. The Bahujan Samaj Party was leading in 12 and the Samajwadi Party in seven while the Congress was ahead in two and the Apna Dal (Soneylal) in one. BJP stalwarts, including Union ministers Maneka Gandhi in Sultanpur and Santosh Gangwar in Bareilly, were ahead of their rivals after the first round of counting of ballots polled in the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Election Commission office here said. See more updates: BJP leading on 269 seats as per election commission trends, Congress on 56 Officials said BJP's Varun Gandhi in Pilibhit and state minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi in Allahabad were ahead of their nearest rivals. Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav forged ahead in Mainpuri and his son SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was leading in Azamgarh. Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav, who is seeking reelection from Kannauj was leading the table. In 2014, BJP got 71 seats, the SP got five, the Congress two and the BSP none. Counting for the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies across Uttar Pradesh began Thursday morning amidst tight security. Watch: In conversation with Dr. Harshvardhan on counting day ×

Lok Sabha election result 2019: BJP leads in 56 seats in Uttar Pradesh

<p>Tech giant Google Thursday said it is bringing live updates on the Indian elections live across Search and YouTube.</p>

<p>"We are showing live election results, sourced from Election Commission of India through Nielsen, on Search and on the Assistant (across Android, iOS and KaiOS). You can find national level results as well as constituency level results," Google said in a blog post.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">Get LIVE updates here.</a></p>

<p>On YouTube, over 150 news channels are bringing live election results coverage through the day, it added.</p>

<p>These include NDTV, AajTak, ABP Majha, ABP Ananda, TV9 Telugu Live, Puthiyathalaimurai TV, Public TV, Asianet News, OTV News and News18 Urdu, among others, the blog post said.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;WION Exclusive | In conversation with Amit Malviya | Lok Sabha Elections Results 2019 | Counting Day 2019</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-exclusive-in-conversation-with-amit-malviya-lok-sabha-elections-results-2019-counting-day-2019-220817/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>"For the 2019 Indian Elections, Doordarshan is bringing inclusive live result experience to users on YouTube... Live audio news will be available on News on AIR YouTube Channel," it said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The BJP appeared set for a resounding comeback on Thursday with leads in 319 seats while the Congress trailed far behind with 105, according to trends available with the Election Commission for 495 of 542 Lok Sabha seats.</p>


Tech giant Google Thursday said it is bringing live updates on the Indian elections live across Search and YouTube. "We are showing live election results, sourced from Election Commission of India through Nielsen, on Search and on the Assistant (across Android, iOS and KaiOS).

Tech giant Google Thursday said it is bringing live updates on the Indian elections live across Search and YouTube. "We are showing live election results, sourced from Election Commission of India through Nielsen, on Search and on the Assistant (across Android, iOS and KaiOS). You can find national level results as well as constituency level results," Google said in a blog post. Get LIVE updates here. On YouTube, over 150 news channels are bringing live election results coverage through the day, it added. These include NDTV, AajTak, ABP Majha, ABP Ananda, TV9 Telugu Live, Puthiyathalaimurai TV, Public TV, Asianet News, OTV News and News18 Urdu, among others, the blog post said. Watch: WION Exclusive | In conversation with Amit Malviya | Lok Sabha Elections Results 2019 | Counting Day 2019 "For the 2019 Indian Elections, Doordarshan is bringing inclusive live result experience to users on YouTube... Live audio news will be available on News on AIR YouTube Channel," it said. The BJP appeared set for a resounding comeback on Thursday with leads in 319 seats while the Congress trailed far behind with 105, according to trends available with the Election Commission for 495 of 542 Lok Sabha seats.

Google showing Indian elections across search, Assistant and YouTube

<p>Congress workers expected Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to turnaround the fortunes of the party in Uttar Pradesh with the swish of a magic wand, yet her combative and calculative campaign failed to lift the grand old party from the abyss of political irrelevance in the state.</p>

<p>Priyanka, 47, who was appointed AICC general secretary in-charge Uttar Pradesh (east) in January, did manage to create a buzz during the Lok Sabha polls, but failed to revive the party's hopes for the assembly elections scheduled for 2022.</p>

<p>A distinctive feature of Priyanka's campaign was her aggressive takedown of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies, and while the jury is still out on why she did not take on the PM from Varanasi, her teasing references to the contest certainly established her as a politician willing to take a challenge head-on.</p>

<p>Another key feature of her foray into politics was her calculative approach allowing her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi to take centre-stage, while establishing herself firmly in a supportive role.</p>

<p>Her subtle messaging -- be it speaking in Punjabi, invoking her Delhi roots, or stopping to greet Modi supporters -- helped her establish an immediate connect with the masses. But, it did not translate into votes and despite her several rallies and road shows, most of the Congress candidates ended up third with either the BJP or the SP-BSP-RLD alliance winning in the state.</p>

<p>She, however, had taken a realistic approach from the start when she told party workers that she cannot do magic and they have to first strengthen the party at the grassroots.</p>

<p>Her realism was also evident when she said she had picked candidates in UP who would either win or cut into the BJP's votes. But, analysts feel this may not hold true as the Congress may have taken away votes of the UP gathbandhan.</p>

<p>The BJP is set for another dominant performance in UP and expected to win over 60 seats. The SP-BSP-RLD gave a fight to the BJP on many seats, but seemed to have been blunted by the Modi factor.</p>

<p>The Congress could only win its traditional bastion of Raebareli, which UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi retained. However, the shocker came from Amethi, where the Congress President conceded defeat to Union minister Smriti Irani.</p>

<p>Priyanka first made her way into the nation's consciousness when she walked with crowds along with her father Rajiv Gandhi's cortege 28 years ago.</p>

<p>Her formal entry into politics was two decades in the making and the 'will she, won't she' discussion finally ended with elder brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi appointing her AICC general secretary of Uttar Pradesh East.</p>

<p>The mother of two is seen by many in her party as a true inheritor of her grandmother Indira Gandhi's legacy, resembling her not just in looks but also in her ability to reach out to people with her easy manner.</p>

<p>Priyanka's strength so far has been in bringing together party workers and also giving Congress cadres hope of revival in UP where it has been reduced to a marginal player.</p>

<p>She started her foray into politics when Sonia Gandhi contested the 1999 Lok Sabha election from Amethi, her first after she assumed as party president. Priyanka campaigned and managed the affairs of the party in the family strongholds of Amethi and Rae Bareli ever since.</p>

<p>That was also when Priyanka Gandhi showed her steely resolve, for which her grandmother was famous.</p>

<p>She also managed the campaign for her brother in 2004 in Amethi, his first election.</p>

<p>Born on January 12, 1972, Priyanka Gandhi married Robert Vadra, a businessman from Delhi, on February 18, 1997 in a traditional Hindu ceremony. They have two children - son Raihan and daughter Miraya. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>The couple is also seen in their children's schools, taking part in Sports Day events and parent-teacher meetings just like any other parent.</p>

<p>Priyanka did her schooling from Modern School and Convent of Jesus and Mary in Delhi and later pursued her graduation in Psychology from Jesus and Mary College. She also did her masters in Buddhist Studies.</p>

<p>According to observers, she may have not struck gold for the party in UP, but still remains the party's best bet to stage a comeback. However, for that to happen a coherent strategy needs to be in place for her rather than just relying on a charm offensive.&nbsp;</p>


Congress workers expected Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to turnaround the fortunes of the party in Uttar Pradesh with the swish of a magic wand, yet her combative and calculative campaign failed to lift the grand old party from the abyss of political irrelevance in the state.

Congress workers expected Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to turnaround the fortunes of the party in Uttar Pradesh with the swish of a magic wand, yet her combative and calculative campaign failed to lift the grand old party from the abyss of political irrelevance in the state. Priyanka, 47, who was appointed AICC general secretary in-charge Uttar Pradesh (east) in January, did manage to create a buzz during the Lok Sabha polls, but failed to revive the party's hopes for the assembly elections scheduled for 2022. A distinctive feature of Priyanka's campaign was her aggressive takedown of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies, and while the jury is still out on why she did not take on the PM from Varanasi, her teasing references to the contest certainly established her as a politician willing to take a challenge head-on. Another key feature of her foray into politics was her calculative approach allowing her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi to take centre-stage, while establishing herself firmly in a supportive role. Her subtle messaging -- be it speaking in Punjabi, invoking her Delhi roots, or stopping to greet Modi supporters -- helped her establish an immediate connect with the masses. But, it did not translate into votes and despite her several rallies and road shows, most of the Congress candidates ended up third with either the BJP or the SP-BSP-RLD alliance winning in the state. She, however, had taken a realistic approach from the start when she told party workers that she cannot do magic and they have to first strengthen the party at the grassroots. Her realism was also evident when she said she had picked candidates in UP who would either win or cut into the BJP's votes. But, analysts feel this may not hold true as the Congress may have taken away votes of the UP gathbandhan. The BJP is set for another dominant performance in UP and expected to win over 60 seats. The SP-BSP-RLD gave a fight to the BJP on many seats, but seemed to have been blunted by the Modi factor. The Congress could only win its traditional bastion of Raebareli, which UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi retained. However, the shocker came from Amethi, where the Congress President conceded defeat to Union minister Smriti Irani. Priyanka first made her way into the nation's consciousness when she walked with crowds along with her father Rajiv Gandhi's cortege 28 years ago. Her formal entry into politics was two decades in the making and the 'will she, won't she' discussion finally ended with elder brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi appointing her AICC general secretary of Uttar Pradesh East. The mother of two is seen by many in her party as a true inheritor of her grandmother Indira Gandhi's legacy, resembling her not just in looks but also in her ability to reach out to people with her easy manner. Priyanka's strength so far has been in bringing together party workers and also giving Congress cadres hope of revival in UP where it has been reduced to a marginal player. She started her foray into politics when Sonia Gandhi contested the 1999 Lok Sabha election from Amethi, her first after she assumed as party president. Priyanka campaigned and managed the affairs of the party in the family strongholds of Amethi and Rae Bareli ever since. That was also when Priyanka Gandhi showed her steely resolve, for which her grandmother was famous. She also managed the campaign for her brother in 2004 in Amethi, his first election. Born on January 12, 1972, Priyanka Gandhi married Robert Vadra, a businessman from Delhi, on February 18, 1997 in a traditional Hindu ceremony. They have two children - son Raihan and daughter Miraya. The couple is also seen in their children's schools, taking part in Sports Day events and parent-teacher meetings just like any other parent. Priyanka did her schooling from Modern School and Convent of Jesus and Mary in Delhi and later pursued her graduation in Psychology from Jesus and Mary College. She also did her masters in Buddhist Studies. According to observers, she may have not struck gold for the party in UP, but still remains the party's best bet to stage a comeback. However, for that to happen a coherent strategy needs to be in place for her rather than just relying on a charm offensive.

No Priyanka 'magic' in Uttar Pradesh

<p>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>.</p>

<p>The prime minister promised to devote "every moment" of his life and "every fibre" of his being for the people of India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This is a mandate to form new India," PM Modi said in his victory speech.</p>

<p>"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.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">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></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1131567218729390081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>"The world will identify India's electoral, democratic prowess now," he stated.</p>

<p>"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;</p>

<p>"The country will now have only two castes - the poor and those who want to alleviate poverty," he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>PM Modi was accompanied by party president Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh among other imminent BJP leaders. &nbsp;</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>Party president Amit Shah thanked the electors and the party workers. "This is the victory of Prime Ministers's popularity," Shah said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This was a historic win, after 50 years a leader a managed to register full majority to form the government," Shah added.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><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></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1131557234826047488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the electors for placing trust in the party once again. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>"<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;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">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></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1131556638043779072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>"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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Congress wishes PM Modi &amp; BJP by posting a tweet</strong></p>

<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>

<p>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;</p>

<p>Later in the day, the leads for the NDA shot up on over 340 seats, unofficially pronouncing another term for PM Modi.&nbsp;</p>


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

<p>The BJP was ahead in 23 seats in Rajasthan while its alliance party RLP and the Congress were leading in one seat each, according to Election Commission trends.</p>

<p>The BJP had contested 4 seats and its alliance partner Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) headed by former BJP leader Hanuman Beniwal, contested one seat.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">Tap for live updates here.</a></p>

<p>Of the total 25 seats, the Congress is leading in only one seat of Bharatpur, according to the Election Commission.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Congress+ in trouble as BJP+ is leading the counts up-up and higher</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/lok-sabha-2019-results-congress-in-trouble-as-bjp-is-leading-the-counts-up-up-and-higher-220803/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The BJP is leading in Ajmer (Bhagirath Chaudhary), Alwar (Balak Nath), Banswara (Kanakmal Katara), Barmer (Kailash Chaudhary), Bhilwara (Subhash Chand Baheria), Bikaner (Arjun Ram Meghwal), Chittorgarh (Chandra Prakash Joshi), Churu (Rahul Kaswan), Dausa (Jaskaur Meena), Pali (PP Chaudhary), Rajsamand (Diya Kumari), Sikar (Sumedhanand), Tonk Sawaimadhopur (Sukhbir Singh), Udaipur (Arjun Lal Meena).&nbsp;</p>

<p>The BJP is also ahead in Ganganagar (Nihal Chand), Jaipur (Ramcharan Bohra), Jaipur rural (Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore), Jalore (Devji Patel), Jhalawar Baran (Dushyant Singh), Jhunjhunu (Narendra Kumar), Jodhpur (Gajendra Singh), Karauli-Dholpur (Manoj Rajoria), Kota (Om Birla).</p>

<p>RLP candidate Hanuman Beniwal is leading in Nagaur.</p>


The BJP was ahead in 23 seats in Rajasthan while its alliance party RLP and the Congress were leading in one seat each, according to Election Commission trends. The BJP had contested 4 seats and its alliance partner Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) headed by former BJP leader Hanuman Beniwal, contested one seat.

The BJP was ahead in 23 seats in Rajasthan while its alliance party RLP and the Congress were leading in one seat each, according to Election Commission trends. The BJP had contested 4 seats and its alliance partner Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) headed by former BJP leader Hanuman Beniwal, contested one seat. Tap for live updates here. Of the total 25 seats, the Congress is leading in only one seat of Bharatpur, according to the Election Commission. Watch: Congress+ in trouble as BJP+ is leading the counts up-up and higher The BJP is leading in Ajmer (Bhagirath Chaudhary), Alwar (Balak Nath), Banswara (Kanakmal Katara), Barmer (Kailash Chaudhary), Bhilwara (Subhash Chand Baheria), Bikaner (Arjun Ram Meghwal), Chittorgarh (Chandra Prakash Joshi), Churu (Rahul Kaswan), Dausa (Jaskaur Meena), Pali (PP Chaudhary), Rajsamand (Diya Kumari), Sikar (Sumedhanand), Tonk Sawaimadhopur (Sukhbir Singh), Udaipur (Arjun Lal Meena). The BJP is also ahead in Ganganagar (Nihal Chand), Jaipur (Ramcharan Bohra), Jaipur rural (Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore), Jalore (Devji Patel), Jhalawar Baran (Dushyant Singh), Jhunjhunu (Narendra Kumar), Jodhpur (Gajendra Singh), Karauli-Dholpur (Manoj Rajoria), Kota (Om Birla). RLP candidate Hanuman Beniwal is leading in Nagaur.

Lok Sabha election result 2019: BJP surging ahead in Rajasthan

<p>Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi's husband, Robert Vadra, wished her and brother-in-law Rahul Gandhi good luck for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-result-2019-bjp-led-nda-sails-ahead-in-vote-count-backed-by-north-indian-parliamentary-constituencies-220762">Lok Sabha election results</a> on Thursday.</p>

<p>Addressing the Congress president as "R" and Priyanka as "P" in a Facebook post, the businessman wrote, "R all the best. With you all the way, no matter what... good luck ! P, best best."Vadra also posted three photos alongside the message.</p>

<p>The first picture, along with photos of Vadra and Rahul Gandhi, has a message, "My heartiest wishes to Rahul, all Congress leaders, and party workers on this crucial day."&nbsp;See more updates:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">BJP-led NDA leads in early trends</a></p>

<p>Vadra's post has two other photos, one each with his wife and brother-in-law.</p>

<p>In the recent past, Vadra had accused BJP of making "false" and "hollow" promise.</p>

<p>"Congress will give to the people what it has promised. Not make false, hollow promises like the BJP did, and never delivered even one promise. We will fulfill every need," he wrote in a Facebook post.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">R all the best. With you all the way, no matter what... good luck !<br />
P, best best. 😊👍 <a href="https://t.co/BMum6RAQkj">pic.twitter.com/BMum6RAQkj</a></p>
— Robert Vadra (@irobertvadra) <a href="https://twitter.com/irobertvadra/status/1131393078906900481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>The social media platform is often Vadra's option to wish his wife and give out political statements.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: BJP's social media head Amit Malviya talks about the party's strategies</strong></p>

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<p>On Priyanka's entry into politics, he took to Facebook to extend his wishes. Similarly, on Women's Day, Vadra wished his wife, mother Maureen Vadra and mother-in-law Sonia Gandhi on the social networking site.</p>

<p>The counting of votes polled for the 17th Lok Sabha elections began at 8 am with the fate of as many as 8,040 candidates at stake.</p>

<p>According to the Election Commission of India data, 67.11 per cent voters exercised their right to franchise. This was the highest turnout in the Lok Sabha polls since independence.</p>


Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi's husband, Robert Vadra, wished her and brother-in-law Rahul Gandhi good luck for Lok Sabha election results on Thursday.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi's husband, Robert Vadra, wished her and brother-in-law Rahul Gandhi good luck for Lok Sabha election results on Thursday. Addressing the Congress president as "R" and Priyanka as "P" in a Facebook post, the businessman wrote, "R all the best. With you all the way, no matter what... good luck ! P, best best."Vadra also posted three photos alongside the message. The first picture, along with photos of Vadra and Rahul Gandhi, has a message, "My heartiest wishes to Rahul, all Congress leaders, and party workers on this crucial day." See more updates: BJP-led NDA leads in early trends Vadra's post has two other photos, one each with his wife and brother-in-law. In the recent past, Vadra had accused BJP of making "false" and "hollow" promise. "Congress will give to the people what it has promised. Not make false, hollow promises like the BJP did, and never delivered even one promise. We will fulfill every need," he wrote in a Facebook post. R all the best. With you all the way, no matter what... good luck ! P, best best. 😊👍 pic.twitter.com/BMum6RAQkj — Robert Vadra (@irobertvadra) May 23, 2019 × The social media platform is often Vadra's option to wish his wife and give out political statements. Watch: BJP's social media head Amit Malviya talks about the party's strategies × On Priyanka's entry into politics, he took to Facebook to extend his wishes. Similarly, on Women's Day, Vadra wished his wife, mother Maureen Vadra and mother-in-law Sonia Gandhi on the social networking site. The counting of votes polled for the 17th Lok Sabha elections began at 8 am with the fate of as many as 8,040 candidates at stake. According to the Election Commission of India data, 67.11 per cent voters exercised their right to franchise. This was the highest turnout in the Lok Sabha polls since independence.

Lok Sabha election result 2019: With you all the way, no matter what: Robert Vadra to Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi on Lok Sabha result day

<p>BJP candidate and Union minister Shripad Naik is leading in North Goa Lok Sabha seat while Congress nominee Francisco Sardinha is ahead in South Goa seat of the coastal state after the first round of counting.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-result-2019-bjp-led-nda-sails-ahead-in-vote-count-backed-by-north-indian-parliamentary-constituencies-220762">Counting of votes for the two Lok Sabha seat</a>s in Goa, where polling was held last month, began this morning.</p>

<p>Naik is leading by over 5,000 votes against his nearest rival and Congress candidate Girish Chodankar.&nbsp;See more updates:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">BJP leading on 269 seats as per election commission trends, Congress on 56</a></p>

<p>In South Goa seat, Sardinha is leading by nearly 3,000 votes against BJP's sitting MP Narendra Sawaikar.</p>

<p>In the Assembly bypolls to four seats, the BJP is leading in three and the Congress is ahead in one.</p>

<p>BJP candidate Joshua D'Souza is leading against his nearest Congress rival Sudhir Kandolkar by 600 votes in Mapusa Assembly seat after the first round of counting.</p>

<p>BJP's Dayanand Sopte is ahead leading in Mandrem by 514 votes against Congress' Babi Bagkar.</p>

<p>In Shiroda, BJP candidate Subhash Shirodkar is leading by 1,000 votes against his nearest rival and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) candidate Deepak Dhavalikar.</p>

<p>Congress candidate Atanasio Monserratte is leading in Panaji Assembly seat by 1,000 votes over BJP's Siddharth Kunkolienkar.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Analysis of impact of early election trends on the Indian markets</strong></p>

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BJP candidate and Union minister Shripad Naik is leading in North Goa Lok Sabha seat while Congress nominee Francisco Sardinha is ahead in South Goa seat of the coastal state after the first round of counting.

BJP candidate and Union minister Shripad Naik is leading in North Goa Lok Sabha seat while Congress nominee Francisco Sardinha is ahead in South Goa seat of the coastal state after the first round of counting. Counting of votes for the two Lok Sabha seats in Goa, where polling was held last month, began this morning. Naik is leading by over 5,000 votes against his nearest rival and Congress candidate Girish Chodankar. See more updates: BJP leading on 269 seats as per election commission trends, Congress on 56 In South Goa seat, Sardinha is leading by nearly 3,000 votes against BJP's sitting MP Narendra Sawaikar. In the Assembly bypolls to four seats, the BJP is leading in three and the Congress is ahead in one. BJP candidate Joshua D'Souza is leading against his nearest Congress rival Sudhir Kandolkar by 600 votes in Mapusa Assembly seat after the first round of counting. BJP's Dayanand Sopte is ahead leading in Mandrem by 514 votes against Congress' Babi Bagkar. In Shiroda, BJP candidate Subhash Shirodkar is leading by 1,000 votes against his nearest rival and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) candidate Deepak Dhavalikar. Congress candidate Atanasio Monserratte is leading in Panaji Assembly seat by 1,000 votes over BJP's Siddharth Kunkolienkar. Watch: Analysis of impact of early election trends on the Indian markets ×

Lok Sabha election result 2019: BJP, Congress ahead in 1 Lok Sabha seat each in Goa

<p>As the counting for the 42 Lok Sabha seats is underway in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee is leading from Diamond Harbour constituency against Bharatiya Janata Party's Nilanjan Ray, initial Election Commission trends showed.</p>

<p>In Asansol Lok Sabha seat, Union Minister Babul Supriyo of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-result-2019-bjp-led-nda-sails-ahead-in-vote-count-backed-by-north-indian-parliamentary-constituencies-220762">BJP is leading by 3448 votes</a> against Moon Moon Sen of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC).</p>

<p>In Coochbehar Lok Sabha seat, Nishith Pramanik of the BJP is leading by 1225 votes against AITC candidate Paresh Chandra Adhikary. See more updates:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">BJP-led NDA leads in early trends</a>&nbsp;</p>

<p>BJP candidate Locket Chatterjee is leading by 2175 votes over AITC candidate Ratna De Nag in Hoogly parliamentary constituency, the trends suggest.</p>

<p>In Uluberia seat, Sajda Ahmed of the AITC is leading by 920 votes against Joy Banerjee of the BJP.</p>

<p>The Lok Sabha election results 2019 are likely to have a major impact on the next government - both in the state and the Centre. Most of the exit polls have predicted an unprecedented surge of the BJP in Bengal this election and projected that it may end up winning between five to 23 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats, handsomely improving its tally of two seats five years back.</p>

<p>The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-result-2019-bjp-led-nda-sails-ahead-in-vote-count-backed-by-north-indian-parliamentary-constituencies-220762">TMC</a>, which has dubbed exit polls as "gossip", had said as per its internal reports from districts, the party was comfortably placed to win. The TMC also exuded confidence that it would play a major role in the formation of a new government, for which it is in touch with various opposition parties.</p>

<p>Some of the exit polls have suggested the TMC getting 24 seats.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Analysis of&nbsp;Impact of early trends on the big battles</strong></p>

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As the counting for the 42 Lok Sabha seats is underway in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee is leading from Diamond Harbour constituency against Bharatiya Janata Party's Nilanjan Ray, initial Election Commission trends showed.

As the counting for the 42 Lok Sabha seats is underway in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee is leading from Diamond Harbour constituency against Bharatiya Janata Party's Nilanjan Ray, initial Election Commission trends showed. In Asansol Lok Sabha seat, Union Minister Babul Supriyo of the BJP is leading by 3448 votes against Moon Moon Sen of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). In Coochbehar Lok Sabha seat, Nishith Pramanik of the BJP is leading by 1225 votes against AITC candidate Paresh Chandra Adhikary. See more updates: BJP-led NDA leads in early trends BJP candidate Locket Chatterjee is leading by 2175 votes over AITC candidate Ratna De Nag in Hoogly parliamentary constituency, the trends suggest. In Uluberia seat, Sajda Ahmed of the AITC is leading by 920 votes against Joy Banerjee of the BJP. The Lok Sabha election results 2019 are likely to have a major impact on the next government - both in the state and the Centre. Most of the exit polls have predicted an unprecedented surge of the BJP in Bengal this election and projected that it may end up winning between five to 23 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats, handsomely improving its tally of two seats five years back. The TMC, which has dubbed exit polls as "gossip", had said as per its internal reports from districts, the party was comfortably placed to win. The TMC also exuded confidence that it would play a major role in the formation of a new government, for which it is in touch with various opposition parties. Some of the exit polls have suggested the TMC getting 24 seats. Watch: Analysis of Impact of early trends on the big battles ×

Lok Sabha election result 2019: Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee leads in Diamond Harbour; BJP ahead in Coochbehar

<p>With early trends in Lok Sabha polls counting indicating&nbsp;NDA win, markets opened on a strong&nbsp;note on Thursday with Sensex and Nifty scaling record&nbsp;highs.</p>

<p>The benchmark BSE Sensex jumped over 600 points in early trade. In similar movement, the broader NSE Nifty rose to 11, 900.<br />
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IndusInd Bank was the top percentage gainer on the Nifty, rising 5%, while State Bank of India Ltd climbed 3.2% higher.&nbsp;Index heavyweights Reliance Industries Ltd was 2% higher while Housing Development Finance Corp Ltd climbed 2.5%.&nbsp;Only one stock was trading lower on the Nifty.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Exit polls have predicted a massive and comfortable win for Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party in Lok Sabha polls 2019. The markets are expected to remain action-packed today.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Record high opening for Indian markets</strong></p>

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<p>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.<br />
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With early trends in Lok Sabha polls counting indicating NDA win, markets opened on a strong note on Thursday with Sensex and Nifty scaling record highs. The benchmark BSE Sensex jumped over 600 points in early trade.

With early trends in Lok Sabha polls counting indicating NDA win, markets opened on a strong note on Thursday with Sensex and Nifty scaling record highs. The benchmark BSE Sensex jumped over 600 points in early trade. In similar movement, the broader NSE Nifty rose to 11, 900. IndusInd Bank was the top percentage gainer on the Nifty, rising 5%, while State Bank of India Ltd climbed 3.2% higher. Index heavyweights Reliance Industries Ltd was 2% higher while Housing Development Finance Corp Ltd climbed 2.5%. Only one stock was trading lower on the Nifty. Exit polls have predicted a massive and comfortable win for Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party in Lok Sabha polls 2019. The markets are expected to remain action-packed today. Watch: Record high opening for Indian markets 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.

Riding on early election trends, Sensex rises over 600 points; Nifty tops 11,900

<p>The BJP is leading in four of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, including Gandhinagar where party president Amit Shah is contesting, while the Congress is ahead in one seat, as per initial trends.</p>

<p>Shah is ahead by over 19,000 votes against his nearest rival and Congress candidate C J Chavda, after counting of the first round, election officials said.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">Tap for live updates here.</a></p>

<p>In Bhavnagar, BJP candidate Bhartiben Siyal is leading against Congress candidate Manharbhai Patel.</p>

<p>In Chotta Udaipur seat, BJP's Gitaben Rathva is leading against Congress' Ranjitsinh Rathva.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Analysis: Impact of early trends on the big battles</strong></p>

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<p>In Rajkot, BJP's Mohan Kundariya is leading against Congress' Lalit Kagathara.</p>

<p>Besides, Congress candidate Sherkhan Pathan is leading against BJP's Mansukh Vasava in Bharuch.&nbsp;</p>


The BJP is leading in four of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, including Gandhinagar where party president Amit Shah is contesting, while the Congress is ahead in one seat, as per initial trends.

The BJP is leading in four of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, including Gandhinagar where party president Amit Shah is contesting, while the Congress is ahead in one seat, as per initial trends. Shah is ahead by over 19,000 votes against his nearest rival and Congress candidate C J Chavda, after counting of the first round, election officials said. Tap for live updates here. In Bhavnagar, BJP candidate Bhartiben Siyal is leading against Congress candidate Manharbhai Patel. In Chotta Udaipur seat, BJP's Gitaben Rathva is leading against Congress' Ranjitsinh Rathva. Watch: Analysis: Impact of early trends on the big battles In Rajkot, BJP's Mohan Kundariya is leading against Congress' Lalit Kagathara. Besides, Congress candidate Sherkhan Pathan is leading against BJP's Mansukh Vasava in Bharuch.

Lok Sabha election results 2019: BJP leading in four seats in Gujarat, Congress ahead in one

<p>The YSR Congress on Thursday appeared on course for an overwhelming victory in Andhra Pradesh with its candidates leading in 150 seats.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated YSR Congress chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy on the "remarkable" win in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls.</p>

<p>"Congratulations on the remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh. Best wishes to you for a successful tenure," Modi said.</p>

<p>The state results have spelt a knockout blow to the Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, in Odisha, incumbent Chief Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/odisha-assembly-polls-result-bjd-registers-massive-gains-naveen-patnaik-set-for-another-term-as-chief-minister-220951">Naveen Patnaik is also set for another term</a>.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="und">Dear <a href="https://twitter.com/ysjagan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ysjagan</a>,<br />
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Congratulations on the remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh. Best wishes to you for a successful tenure.<br />
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ప్రియమైన <a href="https://twitter.com/ysjagan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ysjagan</a>, ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్ లో ఘన విజయాన్ని సాధించినందుకు అభినందనలు. మీ పదవీ కాలం విజయవంతం కావాలని ఆకాంక్షిస్తున్నాను. మీకు ఇవే శుభాకాంక్షలు.</p>
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1131503467392978944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Biju Janata Dal, at the moment, leads in over 100 seats in the 147-member House.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Patnaik on the win.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Jaganmohan Reddy: Andhra's new kingmaker</strong></p>

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<p><strong>Watch: What went wrong with Congress this LS polls?</strong></p>

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<p>"Congratulations to Naveen Babu for yet another victory in Odisha. Wishing him the very best for the next term," PM's tweet read.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has overtaken the tally board in the Lok Sabha polls results, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/india-wins-yet-again-tweets-prime-minister-modi-as-bjp-exhibits-leads-on-300-plus-seats-gears-for-parliamentary-win-220920">maintaining a strong lead in over 340 seats</a>.&nbsp;</p>


The YSR Congress on Thursday appeared on course for an overwhelming victory in Andhra Pradesh with its candidates leading in 150 seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated YSR Congress chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy on the "remarkable" win in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls.

The YSR Congress on Thursday appeared on course for an overwhelming victory in Andhra Pradesh with its candidates leading in 150 seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated YSR Congress chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy on the "remarkable" win in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls. "Congratulations on the remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh. Best wishes to you for a successful tenure," Modi said. The state results have spelt a knockout blow to the Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party. Meanwhile, in Odisha, incumbent Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is also set for another term. Dear @ysjagan, Congratulations on the remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh. Best wishes to you for a successful tenure. ప్రియమైన @ysjagan, ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్ లో ఘన విజయాన్ని సాధించినందుకు అభినందనలు. మీ పదవీ కాలం విజయవంతం కావాలని ఆకాంక్షిస్తున్నాను. మీకు ఇవే శుభాకాంక్షలు. — Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2019 × The Biju Janata Dal, at the moment, leads in over 100 seats in the 147-member House. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Patnaik on the win. Watch: Jaganmohan Reddy: Andhra's new kingmaker × Watch: What went wrong with Congress this LS polls? "Congratulations to Naveen Babu for yet another victory in Odisha. Wishing him the very best for the next term," PM's tweet read. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has overtaken the tally board in the Lok Sabha polls results, maintaining a strong lead in over 340 seats.

'Remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh,' PM Modi congratulates YSRC chief Jagan

<p>The rupee appreciated by 26 paise to 69.40 against the US dollar in opening trade Thursday, as counting of votes for the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections began across the country.</p>

<p>The counting exercise is on in over 4,000 counting centres. Most of the exit polls have predicted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is on course to retain power for a second term.</p>

<p>The rupee opened strong at 69.45 at the interbank forex market, then gained further ground and touched 69.40, displaying gains of 26 paise over its last close.</p>

<p>The rupee had settled at 69.66 against the US dollar Wednesday.</p>

<p>Forex traders said, besides the Loka Sabha election outcome, easing crude prices and higher opening in domestic equities also supported the rupee.</p>

<p>Foreign fund outflows, however, dampened the sentiment of forex traders.</p>

<p>Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net sellers in the capital markets, pulling out Rs 965.02 crore Wednesday, according to provisional exchange data.</p>

<p>Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, eased 0.58 per cent to $70.58 per barrel.</p>

<p>Domestic bourses opened on a bullish note Thursday with both benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty hitting all-time highs.</p>

<p>The 30-share Sensex was trading at 39,722.15 points, up 611.94 points while Nifty was trading higher by 226.80 points at 11,964.70.</p>


The rupee appreciated by 26 paise to 69.40 against the US dollar in opening trade Thursday, as counting of votes for the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections began across the country.

The rupee appreciated by 26 paise to 69.40 against the US dollar in opening trade Thursday, as counting of votes for the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections began across the country. The counting exercise is on in over 4,000 counting centres. Most of the exit polls have predicted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is on course to retain power for a second term. The rupee opened strong at 69.45 at the interbank forex market, then gained further ground and touched 69.40, displaying gains of 26 paise over its last close. The rupee had settled at 69.66 against the US dollar Wednesday. Forex traders said, besides the Loka Sabha election outcome, easing crude prices and higher opening in domestic equities also supported the rupee. Foreign fund outflows, however, dampened the sentiment of forex traders. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net sellers in the capital markets, pulling out Rs 965.02 crore Wednesday, according to provisional exchange data. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, eased 0.58 per cent to $70.58 per barrel. Domestic bourses opened on a bullish note Thursday with both benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty hitting all-time highs. The 30-share Sensex was trading at 39,722.15 points, up 611.94 points while Nifty was trading higher by 226.80 points at 11,964.70.

Rupee rises 26 paise as early trends show return of NDA

<p>The BJP is leading in four out of five seats of Uttarakhand while the Congress was leading in one, according to early Election Commission trends Thursday.</p>

<p>Sitting MP from Tehri Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah is leading by 2000 votes over her nearest rival and Pradesh Congress president Pritam Singh.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">Tap for live updates here.</a></p>

<p>Union Minister of State Ajay Tamta is leading by around 8000 votes over his nearest rival Pradeep Tamta in Almora.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;BJP+ leading in first trends with 59 seats over Congress+ with 21 initially</strong></p>

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<p>BJP's Tirath Singh Rawat is leading by over 3000 votes over his nearest Congress rival and son of sitting BJP MP from the seat B C Khanduri's son Manish Khanduri.</p>

<p>Pradesh BJP president Ajay Bhatt is leading by nearly 3000 votes over AICC general secretary and former CM Harish Rawat in Nainital.</p>

<p>However, sitting BJP MP from Haridwar Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank is trailing behind his nearest rival from the Congress Ambrish Kumar by nearly 3000 votes.</p>

<p>Polling was held in Uttarakhand in the first phase on April 11.</p>


The BJP is leading in four out of five seats of Uttarakhand while the Congress was leading in one, according to early Election Commission trends Thursday. Sitting MP from Tehri Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah is leading by 2000 votes over her nearest rival and Pradesh Congress president Pritam Singh.

The BJP is leading in four out of five seats of Uttarakhand while the Congress was leading in one, according to early Election Commission trends Thursday. Sitting MP from Tehri Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah is leading by 2000 votes over her nearest rival and Pradesh Congress president Pritam Singh. Tap for live updates here. Union Minister of State Ajay Tamta is leading by around 8000 votes over his nearest rival Pradeep Tamta in Almora. Watch: BJP+ leading in first trends with 59 seats over Congress+ with 21 initially BJP's Tirath Singh Rawat is leading by over 3000 votes over his nearest Congress rival and son of sitting BJP MP from the seat B C Khanduri's son Manish Khanduri. Pradesh BJP president Ajay Bhatt is leading by nearly 3000 votes over AICC general secretary and former CM Harish Rawat in Nainital. However, sitting BJP MP from Haridwar Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank is trailing behind his nearest rival from the Congress Ambrish Kumar by nearly 3000 votes. Polling was held in Uttarakhand in the first phase on April 11.

Lok Sabha election results 2019: BJP leading in four out of five seats in Uttarakhand as counting underway

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.”</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.”</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.”</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.”</p>


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

<p>Elections Commission on Thursday began <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-result-2019-counting-of-votes-begins-with-bjp-looking-at-second-term-220731">counting of votes polled for 17th Lok Sabha elections</a> today, early trends showed Bharatiya Janata Party leading with 63 seats.</p>

<p>Congress party is currently at 24 seats while others got 8.</p>

<p>As per early trends, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Varanasi candidate, was leading against Congress' Ajay Rai, while in Lucknow, Rajnath Singh was leading against Samajwadi Party's Poonam Sinha.&nbsp;See more updates: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">BJP-led NDA leads in early trends</a></p>

<p>In Madhya Pradesh, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur was leading&nbsp;against Congress' Digvijay Singh in Bhopal constituency by a margin of 3,105 votes.</p>

<p>BJP's Krishna Pal Singh Yadav is leading by a margin of 1165 votes against Congress' Jyotiraditya Scindia from Guna.</p>

<p>Congress candidate Nakul Nath, son of CM Kamal Nath, is ahead of BJP's Nathanshah Kawreti in Chhindwara seat by a margin of 1,520 votes.</p>

<p>In Delhi,&nbsp;sitting BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma is leading against his AAP rival Balbir Singh Jakhar by 3,319 votes in the West Delhi Lok Sabha seat</p>

<p>Congress candidate Jasbir Singh Dimpa is leading by 721 votes over his nearest rival and SAD nominee Bibi Jagir Kaur from Punjab's Khadoor Sahib seat.</p>

<p>In Maharashtra, Parth Pawar, the grand-nephew of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, is leading in Maval Lok Sabha seat of Maharashtra.</p>

<p>Parth, son of former state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, is leading by 1,173 votes over Shiv Sena's sitting MP Shrirang Barne.</p>

<p>In Shirur, NCP nominee Amol Kolhe is leading by 2,890 votes over Shiv Sena's sitting MP Shivaji Adhalrao Patil.</p>

<p>In Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur seat,&nbsp;sitting BJP MP Anurag Thakur is leading with 3,103 votes against his nearest rival Ram Lal Thakur of Congress.</p>

<p>The counting of hundreds of millions of votes in mega electoral battle began at 8:00 am and final results to be known by the evening.</p>

<p>More than 8,000 candidates were in the fray for 542 seats across the nation. Over 60 per cent of the 90.99 crore electors had cast their vote in the seven-phase elections.</p>

<p>The voting was held in seven phases with the first phase beginning from April 11.</p>

<p>The last phase of voting was held on May 19.&nbsp;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>In general elections 2014, the <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">BJP crossed the 272 mark comfortably on its own</a>, without allies, winning a majority of 282 seats - a gain of 166 compared to the previous general election.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Indian National Congress of the UPA could only manage 44 seats, suffering one of its worst defeats ever.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Analysis of&nbsp;Impact of early trends on the big battles</strong></p>

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<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Elections Commission on Thursday began counting of votes polled for 17th Lok Sabha elections today, early trends showed Bharatiya Janata Party leading with 63 seats.

Elections Commission on Thursday began counting of votes polled for 17th Lok Sabha elections today, early trends showed Bharatiya Janata Party leading with 63 seats. Congress party is currently at 24 seats while others got 8. As per early trends, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Varanasi candidate, was leading against Congress' Ajay Rai, while in Lucknow, Rajnath Singh was leading against Samajwadi Party's Poonam Sinha. See more updates: BJP-led NDA leads in early trends In Madhya Pradesh, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur was leading against Congress' Digvijay Singh in Bhopal constituency by a margin of 3,105 votes. BJP's Krishna Pal Singh Yadav is leading by a margin of 1165 votes against Congress' Jyotiraditya Scindia from Guna. Congress candidate Nakul Nath, son of CM Kamal Nath, is ahead of BJP's Nathanshah Kawreti in Chhindwara seat by a margin of 1,520 votes. In Delhi, sitting BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma is leading against his AAP rival Balbir Singh Jakhar by 3,319 votes in the West Delhi Lok Sabha seat Congress candidate Jasbir Singh Dimpa is leading by 721 votes over his nearest rival and SAD nominee Bibi Jagir Kaur from Punjab's Khadoor Sahib seat. In Maharashtra, Parth Pawar, the grand-nephew of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, is leading in Maval Lok Sabha seat of Maharashtra. Parth, son of former state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, is leading by 1,173 votes over Shiv Sena's sitting MP Shrirang Barne. In Shirur, NCP nominee Amol Kolhe is leading by 2,890 votes over Shiv Sena's sitting MP Shivaji Adhalrao Patil. In Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur seat, sitting BJP MP Anurag Thakur is leading with 3,103 votes against his nearest rival Ram Lal Thakur of Congress. The counting of hundreds of millions of votes in mega electoral battle began at 8:00 am and final results to be known by the evening. More than 8,000 candidates were in the fray for 542 seats across the nation. Over 60 per cent of the 90.99 crore electors had cast their vote in the seven-phase elections. The voting was held in seven phases with the first phase beginning from April 11. The last phase of voting was held on May 19. 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. In general elections 2014, the BJP crossed the 272 mark comfortably on its own, without allies, winning a majority of 282 seats - a gain of 166 compared to the previous general election. The Indian National Congress of the UPA could only manage 44 seats, suffering one of its worst defeats ever. Watch: Analysis of Impact of early trends on the big battles × (With inputs from agencies)

Lok Sabha election result 2019: BJP-led NDA sails ahead in vote count backed by north Indian parliamentary constituencies

<p>Congress President Rahul Gandhi is leading in Wayanad but trailing in Amethi as counting of votes polled for 17th Lok Sabha elections is underway.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi is leading in Wayanad by 10,910 votes against CPI's P&nbsp;P Suneer, according to the Election Commission.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Amethi against Bharatiya Janata Party's Smriti Irani that has been a stronghold of the Congress.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">Tap for live updates here.</a></p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi decided to contest from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala besides his traditional stronghold of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Congress President Rahul Gandhi leading from Wayanad</strong></p>

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<p>The Wayanad Lok Sabha Constituency of Kerala state is currently held by M I Shanavas of Indian National Congress. In the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, M I Shanavas beat Sathyan Mokeri of CPI by receiving 41.20 per cent of the votes cast in this constituency.</p>

<p>The key candidates in the Wayanad constituency for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 are Rahul Gandhi of Congress and P P Suneer of Communist Party of India.</p>

<p>Exit polls predicted&nbsp;that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA is coming back to power at the Centre with close to 300 seats.</p>


Congress President Rahul Gandhi is leading in Wayanad but trailing in Amethi as counting of votes polled for 17th Lok Sabha elections is underway. Rahul Gandhi is leading in Wayanad by 10,910 votes against CPI's P P Suneer, according to the Election Commission.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi is leading in Wayanad but trailing in Amethi as counting of votes polled for 17th Lok Sabha elections is underway. Rahul Gandhi is leading in Wayanad by 10,910 votes against CPI's P P Suneer, according to the Election Commission. Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Amethi against Bharatiya Janata Party's Smriti Irani that has been a stronghold of the Congress. Tap for live updates here. Rahul Gandhi decided to contest from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala besides his traditional stronghold of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. Watch: Congress President Rahul Gandhi leading from Wayanad The Wayanad Lok Sabha Constituency of Kerala state is currently held by M I Shanavas of Indian National Congress. In the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, M I Shanavas beat Sathyan Mokeri of CPI by receiving 41.20 per cent of the votes cast in this constituency. The key candidates in the Wayanad constituency for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 are Rahul Gandhi of Congress and P P Suneer of Communist Party of India. Exit polls predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA is coming back to power at the Centre with close to 300 seats.

Lok Sabha Election Result 2019: Congress president Rahul Gandhi leading in Wayanad, trailing in Amethi in early trends

<p>The Union Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Friday to pass a resolution on the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha. Also, the Parliamentary Board of BJP will meet today in the evening while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address the party workers here at 5.30 pm.</p>

<p>Council of Ministers meeting will also be held on&nbsp;Friday. The ruling BJP is set to storm back to power with a comfortable majority on its own for the second consecutive time and is <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">set to cross the 300-mark along with its allies in the Lok Sabha</a>.</p>

<p>Their campaign was spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on muscular nationalism and a strident anti-Congress plank.</p>

<p>On the other side, the main challenger Congress is way behind, leading in only 50 seats. Prime Minister Modi is leading comfortably in Varanasi where he is seeking a second term while UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi leading in Raebareli.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Congress president Rahul Gandhi was trailing behind Union Minister Smriti Irani in Amethi while leading in Wayanad in Kerala.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;'There is no place for dynasty rulers, corrupt leaders in this nation' says Yogi Adityanath</strong></p>

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The Union Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Friday to pass a resolution on the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha. Also, the Parliamentary Board of BJP will meet today in the evening while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address the party workers here at 5.

The Union Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Friday to pass a resolution on the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha. Also, the Parliamentary Board of BJP will meet today in the evening while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address the party workers here at 5.30 pm. Council of Ministers meeting will also be held on Friday. The ruling BJP is set to storm back to power with a comfortable majority on its own for the second consecutive time and is set to cross the 300-mark along with its allies in the Lok Sabha. Their campaign was spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on muscular nationalism and a strident anti-Congress plank. On the other side, the main challenger Congress is way behind, leading in only 50 seats. Prime Minister Modi is leading comfortably in Varanasi where he is seeking a second term while UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi leading in Raebareli. Congress president Rahul Gandhi was trailing behind Union Minister Smriti Irani in Amethi while leading in Wayanad in Kerala. Watch: 'There is no place for dynasty rulers, corrupt leaders in this nation' says Yogi Adityanath ×

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Union Cabinet to meet on Friday

<p>The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-polls-2019-guide-to-check-results-trends-on-election-commission-website-and-app-220713">counting for</a> 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal will be taken up Thursday along with the rest of the country.</p>

<p>A day before the counting, the BJP's state unit on Wednesday seemed upbeat about its performance in the state, with a senior leader saying people's desire for an "alternative" to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) may propel them to an even better position than the exit polls predictions.</p>

<p>The Lok Sabha election results 2019 are likely to have a major impact on the next government - both in the state and the Centre. Most of the exit polls have predicted an <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">unprecedented surge of the BJP</a> in Bengal this election and projected that it may end up winning between five to 23 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats, handsomely improving its tally of two seats five years back.</p>

<p>"Certainly the exit poll projections have made our workers optimistic. But we are hoping to do even better as people of Bengal are with us. We are hopeful that tomorrow's (Thursday's) result will upset many calculations. We are not sure if we will win 23 seats or even more," party's state general secretary Pratap Banerjee said on Wednesday.</p>

<p>The party leadership said no major programmes have been planned yet for Thursday as most of the senior leaders, who contested in the 2019 polls, will be in their respective constituencies when the results are announced.</p>

<p>Dubbing Mamata Banerjee's apprehensions over EVMs as "baseless", Banerjee said it was a "last ditch attempt" by her to pep up party workers.</p>

<p>He also said that a giant projection screen will be put up on the ground floor hall of the state party headquarters where local leaders and activists will watch the election results unfold.</p>

<p>The Trinamool Congress, which has dubbed exit polls as "gossip", had said as per its internal reports from districts, the party was comfortably placed to win. The TMC also exuded confidence that it would play a major role in the formation of a new government, for which it is in touch with various opposition parties.</p>

<p>Some of the exit polls have suggested the TMC getting 24 seats.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: UPA reaches out to regional parties</strong></p>

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<p>Although West Bengal has been a Trinamool Congress bastion for the last several years, the state seems to have undergone a massive change in its political leanings during Lok Sabha election 2019. While it always been a direct contest between Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress and the Left Front with Congress also strong in a few pockets, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has gone out all guns blazing to become a major player in the state.</p>

<p>PM Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah have led the BJP charge, addressing several rallies in the state which was countered on every junction by the supremely combative Mamata Banerjee.</p>

<p>Trinamool Congress has swept aside the opposition in the 2014 Lok Sabha election by winning 34 seats. The Congress managed just four seats while the Left Front which ruled West Bengal for almost three-and-a-half decades till its rout at the hands of Trinamool Congress in the 2011 Assembly election, could win in only two seats. The BJP was also victorious in two Lok Sabha constituencies.</p>

<p>The state went to polls in all the seven phases of Lok Sabha election - April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. West Bengal’s 10 seats out of 42 are reserved for Scheduled Caste while two are for Scheduled Tribe candidates.</p>


The counting for 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal will be taken up Thursday along with the rest of the country. A day before the counting, the BJP's state unit on Wednesday seemed upbeat about its performance in the state, with a senior leader saying people's desire for an "alternative" to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) may propel them to an even better position than the exit polls predictions.

The counting for 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal will be taken up Thursday along with the rest of the country. A day before the counting, the BJP's state unit on Wednesday seemed upbeat about its performance in the state, with a senior leader saying people's desire for an "alternative" to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) may propel them to an even better position than the exit polls predictions. The Lok Sabha election results 2019 are likely to have a major impact on the next government - both in the state and the Centre. Most of the exit polls have predicted an unprecedented surge of the BJP in Bengal this election and projected that it may end up winning between five to 23 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats, handsomely improving its tally of two seats five years back. "Certainly the exit poll projections have made our workers optimistic. But we are hoping to do even better as people of Bengal are with us. We are hopeful that tomorrow's (Thursday's) result will upset many calculations. We are not sure if we will win 23 seats or even more," party's state general secretary Pratap Banerjee said on Wednesday. The party leadership said no major programmes have been planned yet for Thursday as most of the senior leaders, who contested in the 2019 polls, will be in their respective constituencies when the results are announced. Dubbing Mamata Banerjee's apprehensions over EVMs as "baseless", Banerjee said it was a "last ditch attempt" by her to pep up party workers. He also said that a giant projection screen will be put up on the ground floor hall of the state party headquarters where local leaders and activists will watch the election results unfold. The Trinamool Congress, which has dubbed exit polls as "gossip", had said as per its internal reports from districts, the party was comfortably placed to win. The TMC also exuded confidence that it would play a major role in the formation of a new government, for which it is in touch with various opposition parties. Some of the exit polls have suggested the TMC getting 24 seats. Watch: UPA reaches out to regional parties Although West Bengal has been a Trinamool Congress bastion for the last several years, the state seems to have undergone a massive change in its political leanings during Lok Sabha election 2019. While it always been a direct contest between Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress and the Left Front with Congress also strong in a few pockets, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has gone out all guns blazing to become a major player in the state. PM Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah have led the BJP charge, addressing several rallies in the state which was countered on every junction by the supremely combative Mamata Banerjee. Trinamool Congress has swept aside the opposition in the 2014 Lok Sabha election by winning 34 seats. The Congress managed just four seats while the Left Front which ruled West Bengal for almost three-and-a-half decades till its rout at the hands of Trinamool Congress in the 2011 Assembly election, could win in only two seats. The BJP was also victorious in two Lok Sabha constituencies. The state went to polls in all the seven phases of Lok Sabha election - April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. West Bengal’s 10 seats out of 42 are reserved for Scheduled Caste while two are for Scheduled Tribe candidates.

Lok Sabha election results 2019: BJP hopes to improve tally in Trinamool Congress bastion West Bengal

<p>The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference has swept all the three <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</a> seats in Kashmir valley while the BJP continued its winning mark on Jammu, Udhampur and Ladakh parliamentary seats.&nbsp;</p>

<p>National Conference President and four-time J&amp;K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, who sought re-election, won comfortably from Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary seat, defeating Peoples Democratic Party candidate Aga Syed Mohsin.</p>

<p>Speaking to media after winning the election, he said that "the Parliament will not be easy and several important issues including Article-35-A and 370 which will have to be fought to save them," he said while blaming BJP for creating a divide among Hindus and Muslims in India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Flanked by his son Omar Abdullah, Farooq stressed on the need to restart dialogue between India and Pakistan. Omar while speaking at the party office blamed Congress for defeat on Ladakh parliamentary seat by fielding their candidate against an Independent candidate.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We fought elections so that we find a replacement for the BJP &amp; NDA but the country hasn't accepted this. Yes, after Balakote, the opposition was on the backfoot. Now, we can question if slogans like 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' was right or not? Was it important to focus on Rafale?" Omar asked.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch: WION in conversation with Omar Abdullah on Lok Sabha election results 2019</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-exclusive-in-conversation-with-omar-abdullah-lok-sabha-election-results-2019-220922/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>In south Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party President and former chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti tasted defeat in Anantnag parliamentary constituency. She was defeated by National Conference candidate and former judge Hasnain Masoodi in her bastion and stronghold.</p>

<p>This is Mehbooba's first big defeat after the death of her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and fall of the PDP-BJP coalition government in the state.</p>

<p>"I’ve been fortunate to get the love &amp; affection of my people. They have every right to express their anger for my failings. Accept their verdict with humility. Congratulations to winning candidates from NC. I’m grateful to my party workers &amp; colleagues," Mehbooba wrote on Twitter.</p>

<p>Her defeat has also come at a time when several top leaders have left the party due to several reasons.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The motormouth National Conference leader Akbar Lone defeated controversial leader Er. Rasheed and former cop turned politician Raja Aijaz Ali of the JK Peoples’ Conference. Lone was the education minister in Omar Abdullah's cabinet.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While MoS, PMO, Jitendra Singh also won the Udhampur seat by defeating Vikramaditya Singh of the Congress despite having the backing of two big regional forces National Conference and PDP. In Jammu, BJP candidate Jugal Kishore won again, defeating the Congress candidate Raman Bhalla.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ladakh welcomed BJP once again, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal won the seat defeating independent candidate Asgar Ali Karbalai. Political parties are blaming Congress for the defeat by fielding a candidate against Asgar, dividing the vote.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference has swept all the three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir valley while the BJP continued its winning mark on Jammu, Udhampur and Ladakh parliamentary seats.

The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference has swept all the three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir valley while the BJP continued its winning mark on Jammu, Udhampur and Ladakh parliamentary seats. National Conference President and four-time J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, who sought re-election, won comfortably from Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary seat, defeating Peoples Democratic Party candidate Aga Syed Mohsin. Speaking to media after winning the election, he said that "the Parliament will not be easy and several important issues including Article-35-A and 370 which will have to be fought to save them," he said while blaming BJP for creating a divide among Hindus and Muslims in India. Flanked by his son Omar Abdullah, Farooq stressed on the need to restart dialogue between India and Pakistan. Omar while speaking at the party office blamed Congress for defeat on Ladakh parliamentary seat by fielding their candidate against an Independent candidate. "We fought elections so that we find a replacement for the BJP & NDA but the country hasn't accepted this. Yes, after Balakote, the opposition was on the backfoot. Now, we can question if slogans like 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' was right or not? Was it important to focus on Rafale?" Omar asked. Watch: WION in conversation with Omar Abdullah on Lok Sabha election results 2019 In south Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party President and former chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti tasted defeat in Anantnag parliamentary constituency. She was defeated by National Conference candidate and former judge Hasnain Masoodi in her bastion and stronghold. This is Mehbooba's first big defeat after the death of her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and fall of the PDP-BJP coalition government in the state. "I’ve been fortunate to get the love & affection of my people. They have every right to express their anger for my failings. Accept their verdict with humility. Congratulations to winning candidates from NC. I’m grateful to my party workers & colleagues," Mehbooba wrote on Twitter. Her defeat has also come at a time when several top leaders have left the party due to several reasons. The motormouth National Conference leader Akbar Lone defeated controversial leader Er. Rasheed and former cop turned politician Raja Aijaz Ali of the JK Peoples’ Conference. Lone was the education minister in Omar Abdullah's cabinet. While MoS, PMO, Jitendra Singh also won the Udhampur seat by defeating Vikramaditya Singh of the Congress despite having the backing of two big regional forces National Conference and PDP. In Jammu, BJP candidate Jugal Kishore won again, defeating the Congress candidate Raman Bhalla. Ladakh welcomed BJP once again, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal won the seat defeating independent candidate Asgar Ali Karbalai. Political parties are blaming Congress for the defeat by fielding a candidate against Asgar, dividing the vote.

Lok Sabha election results 2019: National Conference sweeps Kashmir, BJP seals Jammu and Ladakh division

<p>By the time you read this, early trends of the results in the 2019 Lok Sabha election will have already started trickling in.&nbsp;</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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.<br />
<br />
<em>(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>)</em></p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


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

<p>As the counting begins 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.</p>

<p>The state has given 10 prime ministers since independence. Going by the exit polls predictions, the BJP-led NDA is likely to get the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lions-share-of-uttar-pradeshs-seats-going-to-bjp-predict-exit-polls-219936">lion's share</a> 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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>During the last Lok Sabha polls, the NDA registered a landslide win bagging 71 seats out of 80.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><strong>Varanasi:</strong> Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a second term from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat where he is in the contest with Congress' Ajai Rai.</p>

<p><strong>Amethi:</strong> Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is in a tough fight against BJP minister Smriti Irani.</p>

<p><strong>Rae Bareli:</strong> Sonia Gandhi is in a straight contest with BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh.</p>

<p><strong>Azamgarh:</strong> A traditional SP stronghold, Azamgarh will see a battle between chief Akhilesh Yadav and BJP's Dinesh Lal Yadav Nirahua.</p>

<p><strong>Mainpuri:</strong> Another SP bastion, party patriarch is set to lock horns here with BJP's Prem Singh Shakya.</p>

<p><strong>Lucknow:</strong> Union Home Minister is set to take on SP's Poonam Sinha and Congress' Acharya Pramod Krishnam.</p>

<p><strong>Gorakhpur:</strong> 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.</p>

<p><strong>Sultanpur:</strong> 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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><strong>Allahabad:</strong> Rita Bahuguna Joshi is BJP's candidate on the Allahabad seat.</p>

<p>Joshi is fighting against Congress leader Yogesh Shukla and SP's Rajendra Singh Patel.</p>


As the counting begins 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.

As the counting begins 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 bagging 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 results 2019: Mahagathbandhan's fate to be decided today in Uttar Pradesh

<p>Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday congratulated PM Modi as the Bharatiya Janata Party exhibited a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/india-wins-yet-again-tweets-prime-minister-modi-as-bjp-exhibits-leads-on-300-plus-seats-gears-for-parliamentary-win-220920">massive lead in Lok Sabha 2019 result</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In his congratulatory message, Khan said that he looks forward to working with PM Modi "for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia".</p>

<p>"I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia," Khan's tweet read.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia</p>
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1131526476828893184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Wishes&nbsp;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;</p>

<p>Later in the day, the leads for the NDA shot up on over 340 seats, unofficially pronouncing another term for PM Modi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chinese President Xi Jinping, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Russian President Vladimir Putin are among the first <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-world-leaders-xi-putin-among-others-congratulate-pm-modi-on-victory-220936">world leaders to congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> on his historic landslide victory in the Lok Sabha elections and vowed to work with him to take the bilateral ties to a new height.</p>

<p>In a letter sent to Prime Minister Modi, President Xi congratulated him on the electoral victory of the NDA under his leadership, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: PM Modi had predicted something over LS Polls results in interview and it turned true&nbsp;</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/lok-sabha-election-2019-pm-modi-had-predicted-something-over-ls-polls-results-in-interview-and-it-turned-true-220977/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Putin also congratulated Modi on his party's convincing victory in general elections.</p>

<p>Similarly, Sri President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe felicitated PM Narendra Modi on his electoral victory.</p>

<p>PM Modi thanked the electors for placing trust in the party again and giving another chance.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you India! The faith placed in our alliance is humbling and gives us strength to work even harder to fulfil people's aspirations.<br />
<br />
I salute every BJP Karyakarta for their determination, perseverance &amp; hardwork. They went home to home, elaborating on our development agenda.</p>
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1131527111804477440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>"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.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"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.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday congratulated PM Modi as the Bharatiya Janata Party exhibited a massive lead in Lok Sabha 2019 result. In his congratulatory message, Khan said that he looks forward to working with PM Modi "for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia".

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday congratulated PM Modi as the Bharatiya Janata Party exhibited a massive lead in Lok Sabha 2019 result. In his congratulatory message, Khan said that he looks forward to working with PM Modi "for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia". "I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia," Khan's tweet read. I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 23, 2019 × 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. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Russian President Vladimir Putin are among the first world leaders to congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his historic landslide victory in the Lok Sabha elections and vowed to work with him to take the bilateral ties to a new height. In a letter sent to Prime Minister Modi, President Xi congratulated him on the electoral victory of the NDA under his leadership, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet. Watch: PM Modi had predicted something over LS Polls results in interview and it turned true Putin also congratulated Modi on his party's convincing victory in general elections. Similarly, Sri President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe felicitated PM Narendra Modi on his electoral victory. PM Modi thanked the electors for placing trust in the party again and giving another chance. 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. — Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2019 × "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. "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.

Look forward to working for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia: Imran Khan congratulates PM Modi 

<p>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.</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p>Counting of votes began 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;</p>

<p>The voting was held in seven phases with first phase&nbsp;beginning from&nbsp;April 11.</p>

<p>The last phase of voting was held on May&nbsp;19. Over 67.11 crore voters exercised their right to vote.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Victory preparation</strong></p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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".</p>

<p>"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;</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>The commission rejected the opposition's demands on Wednesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>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;</p>

<p><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;</p>

<p>"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.</p>


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 began 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 underway at over 4,000 counting centres across country

<p>The ruling BJP-JDU-LJP alliance in Bihar looks all set for a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/india-wins-yet-again-tweets-prime-minister-modi-as-bjp-exhibits-leads-on-300-plus-seats-gears-for-parliamentary-win-220920">resounding victory in the Lok Sabha elections</a> as suggest the counting trends.</p>

<p>BJP is leading on 16 seats, while its allies Janata Dal (United) (JDU) on 15 seats and Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) on six seats. In all, the alliance is leading on 37 seats.</p>

<p>Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is leading on two seats, while the Congress on one seat.</p>

<p>The others allies of RJD-led grand alliance are trailing as the counting advances towards the conclusion.</p>

<p>In Patna Sahib, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is leading against Congress'&nbsp;Shatrughan Sinha by a margin of over 92,797 votes.</p>

<p>In Pataliputra seat, Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter and RJD candidate Misha Bharti is leading over BJP's Ram Kripal Yadav by a margin of 80,27 votes.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: PM Modi had predicted something over LS Polls results in interview and it turned true&nbsp;</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/lok-sabha-election-2019-pm-modi-had-predicted-something-over-ls-polls-results-in-interview-and-it-turned-true-220977/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>At Arrah, RK Singh of BJP is ahead of Raju Yadav of CPI-M-L (Liberation) by a margin of 58,398 votes. At Jamui (SC) Chirag Kumar Paswan, son of Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan of Lok Jan Shakti Party is ahead of Bhudeo Choudhary of Rashtriya Lok Samta Party by 160016 votes.</p>

<p>At Begusarai, Giriraj Singh of BJP is ahead of Kanhaiya Kumar, CPI by a huge margin of 1,99,350 votes. At Buxar, Ashwini Kumar Choubey of BJP is ahead of RJD's Jagadanand Singh by 41,144 votes.</p>

<p>At Munger Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh of JDU is ahead of Neelam Devi of the Congress party by 48,666 votes.</p>

<p>At Purvi Champaran, Union Minister Radha Mohan Singh of BJP is ahead of Akash Kumar Singh of the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party by 97,814 votes.</p>

<p>At Saran, Rajiv Pratap Rudy of BJP is leading Chandrika Roy of Rashtriya Janata Dal by 76,153 votes.</p>

<p>The opposition parties that contested the polls together were RJD, Congress, Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM), Mukesh Sahni's Vikasshil Insan Party (VIP), and Sharad Yadav's Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD).</p>

<p>In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA had won 31 seats in Bihar. The seven-phased Lok Sabha elections were held from April 11 to May 19.&nbsp;</p>


The ruling BJP-JDU-LJP alliance in Bihar looks all set for a resounding victory in the Lok Sabha elections as suggest the counting trends. BJP is leading on 16 seats, while its allies Janata Dal (United) (JDU) on 15 seats and Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) on six seats.

The ruling BJP-JDU-LJP alliance in Bihar looks all set for a resounding victory in the Lok Sabha elections as suggest the counting trends. BJP is leading on 16 seats, while its allies Janata Dal (United) (JDU) on 15 seats and Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) on six seats. In all, the alliance is leading on 37 seats. Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is leading on two seats, while the Congress on one seat. The others allies of RJD-led grand alliance are trailing as the counting advances towards the conclusion. In Patna Sahib, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is leading against Congress' Shatrughan Sinha by a margin of over 92,797 votes. In Pataliputra seat, Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter and RJD candidate Misha Bharti is leading over BJP's Ram Kripal Yadav by a margin of 80,27 votes. Watch: PM Modi had predicted something over LS Polls results in interview and it turned true At Arrah, RK Singh of BJP is ahead of Raju Yadav of CPI-M-L (Liberation) by a margin of 58,398 votes. At Jamui (SC) Chirag Kumar Paswan, son of Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan of Lok Jan Shakti Party is ahead of Bhudeo Choudhary of Rashtriya Lok Samta Party by 160016 votes. At Begusarai, Giriraj Singh of BJP is ahead of Kanhaiya Kumar, CPI by a huge margin of 1,99,350 votes. At Buxar, Ashwini Kumar Choubey of BJP is ahead of RJD's Jagadanand Singh by 41,144 votes. At Munger Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh of JDU is ahead of Neelam Devi of the Congress party by 48,666 votes. At Purvi Champaran, Union Minister Radha Mohan Singh of BJP is ahead of Akash Kumar Singh of the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party by 97,814 votes. At Saran, Rajiv Pratap Rudy of BJP is leading Chandrika Roy of Rashtriya Janata Dal by 76,153 votes. The opposition parties that contested the polls together were RJD, Congress, Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM), Mukesh Sahni's Vikasshil Insan Party (VIP), and Sharad Yadav's Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD). In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA had won 31 seats in Bihar. The seven-phased Lok Sabha elections were held from April 11 to May 19.

Lok Sabha election results 2019: Ruling coalition surges towards massive victory in Bihar

<p>Expressing gratitude over the overwhelming leads secured by the Bharatiya Janata Party for the Lok Sabha elections, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/india-wins-yet-again-tweets-prime-minister-modi-as-bjp-exhibits-leads-on-300-plus-seats-gears-for-parliamentary-win-220920">Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the electors</a> for placing trust in the party once again. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>"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.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"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.</p>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you India! The faith placed in our alliance is humbling and gives us strength to work even harder to fulfil people's aspirations.<br />
<br />
I salute every BJP Karyakarta for their determination, perseverance &amp; hardwork. They went home to home, elaborating on our development agenda.</p>
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1131527111804477440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier in the day, the PM tweeted out, "<em>Sabka sath + sabka vikas + sabka vishwas = vijayi bharat</em>". "India wins yet again," his tweet read.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch: PM Modi had predicted something over LS Polls results in interview and it turned true&nbsp;</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/lok-sabha-election-2019-pm-modi-had-predicted-something-over-ls-polls-results-in-interview-and-it-turned-true-220977/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>PM Modi stated that collective development and people's trust has led to the victory of the nation in the win of the party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Together we grow. Together we prosper. Together we will build a strong and inclusive India. India wins yet again!"</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Meanwhile,&nbsp;<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">Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday congratulated PM Modi</a> as the Bharatiya Janata Party exhibited a massive lead in Lok Sabha 2019 result.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In his congratulatory message, Khan said that he looks forward to working with PM Modi "for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia".</p>

<p>"I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia," Khan's tweet read.&nbsp;</p>


Expressing gratitude over the overwhelming leads secured by the Bharatiya Janata Party for the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the electors for placing trust in the party once again.

Expressing gratitude over the overwhelming leads secured by the Bharatiya Janata Party for the Lok Sabha elections, 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. "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. 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. — Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2019 × Earlier in the day, the PM tweeted out, "Sabka sath + sabka vikas + sabka vishwas = vijayi bharat". "India wins yet again," his tweet read. Watch: PM Modi had predicted something over LS Polls results in interview and it turned true PM Modi stated that collective development and people's trust has led to the victory of the nation in the win of the party. "Together we grow. Together we prosper. Together we will build a strong and inclusive India. India wins yet again!" 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. Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday congratulated PM Modi as the Bharatiya Janata Party exhibited a massive lead in Lok Sabha 2019 result. In his congratulatory message, Khan said that he looks forward to working with PM Modi "for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia". "I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia," Khan's tweet read.

Thank you India! Faith placed in our alliance is humbling: PM Modi on poll result

<p>Counting of votes began Thursday for 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra where <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-result-2019-counting-of-votes-begins-with-bjp-looking-at-second-term-220731">trends are likely to start coming in by afternoon</a> while the final results are expected in the evening, officials said.</p>

<p>A total of 98,430 electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used for the four-phase polls in the state where counting is taking place at 48 counting centres in 38 locations from 8 am, an election official said.</p>

<p>"The trends are likely to start coming in by afternoon and results by 4 pm," he said. See live updates:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">BJP-led NDA leads in early trends</a></p>

<p>Over a lakh polling staff and around 50,000 police personnel have been deployed in the state, the official said.</p>

<p>Maharashtra, which has the second highest number of 48 Lok Sabha seats in the country after Uttar Pradesh's 80, went to polls in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29 and a total of 867 candidates were in the fray.</p>

<p>The voter turnout this time was 60.80 per cent, up from 60.32 per cent in 2014.</p>

<p>According to officials, maximum counting rounds of 35 each will be held in Palghar and Bhiwandi seats, followed by 33 in Bhandara-Gondiya and Thane, and 32 in Beed and Shirur.</p>

<p>Hatkanangale will have the lowest 17 rounds of counting while there will be 18 rounds each in Amravati and Sangli, they said.</p>

<p>"Counting personnel will randomly select five EVMs from each Assembly segment for<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/election-commission-rejects-oppositions-demand-for-tallying-vvpat-slips-with-evm-220642"> VVPAT (voter-verified paper audit trail) checking</a>. If a candidate demands a particular EVM be chosen, it will be done and one of the voting machines randomly chosen will be dropped," the official said.</p>

<p>Information and trends would be uploaded on the website ceo.Maharashtra.Gov.In and would also be available on toll-free number 1950, he said, adding a control room was set up at the state secretariat for the media.</p>

<p>"Several digital hoardings have been set up at the state secretariat in Mumbai. For the first time, the election trends and results will be seen on digital signboards of the traffic police department. At the district level, the information will be provided after every round of counting," he said.</p>

<p>Union ministers Nitin Gadkari (Nagpur), Hansraj Ahir (Chandrapur), Subhash Bhamre (Dhule), Anant Geete (Raigad), Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan (Nanded) and former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde (Solapur) were among the key contestants from the state.</p>

<p>Police are guarding three counting centres in Mumbai Thursday with the help of Central forces, officials said.</p>

<p>Counting of votes for six parliamentary constituencies in the city is being held at the NESCO Complex in Goregaon, Udayanchal School in Vikhroli and New Sewree Warehouse in Sewree East.</p>

<p>Strict security arrangements have been put in place in other parts of Maharashtra for the counting day, a police official said.</p>

<p>As many as 1,500 police officers and personnel are guarding the counting centres in Mumbai along with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Reserve Police Force, Quick Response Teams (QRT) and Riot Control Police, he said.&nbsp;</p>


Counting of votes began Thursday for 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra where trends are likely to start coming in by afternoon while the final results are expected in the evening, officials said.

Counting of votes began Thursday for 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra where trends are likely to start coming in by afternoon while the final results are expected in the evening, officials said. A total of 98,430 electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used for the four-phase polls in the state where counting is taking place at 48 counting centres in 38 locations from 8 am, an election official said. "The trends are likely to start coming in by afternoon and results by 4 pm," he said. See live updates: BJP-led NDA leads in early trends Over a lakh polling staff and around 50,000 police personnel have been deployed in the state, the official said. Maharashtra, which has the second highest number of 48 Lok Sabha seats in the country after Uttar Pradesh's 80, went to polls in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29 and a total of 867 candidates were in the fray. The voter turnout this time was 60.80 per cent, up from 60.32 per cent in 2014. According to officials, maximum counting rounds of 35 each will be held in Palghar and Bhiwandi seats, followed by 33 in Bhandara-Gondiya and Thane, and 32 in Beed and Shirur. Hatkanangale will have the lowest 17 rounds of counting while there will be 18 rounds each in Amravati and Sangli, they said. "Counting personnel will randomly select five EVMs from each Assembly segment for VVPAT (voter-verified paper audit trail) checking. If a candidate demands a particular EVM be chosen, it will be done and one of the voting machines randomly chosen will be dropped," the official said. Information and trends would be uploaded on the website ceo.Maharashtra.Gov.In and would also be available on toll-free number 1950, he said, adding a control room was set up at the state secretariat for the media. "Several digital hoardings have been set up at the state secretariat in Mumbai. For the first time, the election trends and results will be seen on digital signboards of the traffic police department. At the district level, the information will be provided after every round of counting," he said. Union ministers Nitin Gadkari (Nagpur), Hansraj Ahir (Chandrapur), Subhash Bhamre (Dhule), Anant Geete (Raigad), Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan (Nanded) and former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde (Solapur) were among the key contestants from the state. Police are guarding three counting centres in Mumbai Thursday with the help of Central forces, officials said. Counting of votes for six parliamentary constituencies in the city is being held at the NESCO Complex in Goregaon, Udayanchal School in Vikhroli and New Sewree Warehouse in Sewree East. Strict security arrangements have been put in place in other parts of Maharashtra for the counting day, a police official said. As many as 1,500 police officers and personnel are guarding the counting centres in Mumbai along with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Reserve Police Force, Quick Response Teams (QRT) and Riot Control Police, he said.

Maharashtra: Counting begins, results of 48 seats likely by evening