<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>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>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 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>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

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

Congress formulates Karnataka style strategy; In touch with regional parties

<p>The vote count for Lok Sabha elections on Thursday showed that the people of the country have given the <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">mandate to the BJP-led NDA</a> to again govern the country for the next five years. An important part in that mandate was played by Uttar Pradesh, which has the maximum number of Lok Sabha seats (80).</p>

<p>The alliance of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) failed to stop the BJP's juggernaut which, along with its allies, is leading 59 seats in Uttar Pradesh. The overall tally of the BJP stands at 286, four more than its 2014 number.</p>

<p>The BJP's performance shows that the 'Mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) experiment of SP and BSP failed to achieve the desired results. Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati - chiefs of SP and BSP respectively - had joined hands in January this year to keep the BJP out. After their surprise annoucement, it was widely believed that the BJP will lose due to cast arithmetic. But the result said otherwise.</p>

<p>The Samajwadi Party, as part of the agreement, contested 37 of 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP.</p>

<p>While the BSP contested on 38 seats, the RLD, also a part of the alliance, fought from three seats. The SP-BSP-RLD alliance left two seats for the Congress in Amethi and Rae Bareli.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: BJP+ achieves massive mandate in Lok Sabha polls</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-bjp-achieves-massive-mandate-hits-congress-more-than-of-2014-220927/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>In the 2017 assembly election in the state, the BJP had won 312 of the 403 seats in the state - its best-ever tally.</p>

<p>On Sunday, shortly after the seventh and last phase of polling for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, four exit polls predicted a win for the National Democratic Alliance and a rout for the SP-BSP alliance in UP. Out of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance was seen winning 52 seats, Congress two and others 26.</p>


The vote count for Lok Sabha elections on Thursday showed that the people of the country have given the mandate to the BJP-led NDA to again govern the country for the next five years.

The vote count for Lok Sabha elections on Thursday showed that the people of the country have given the mandate to the BJP-led NDA to again govern the country for the next five years. An important part in that mandate was played by Uttar Pradesh, which has the maximum number of Lok Sabha seats (80). The alliance of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) failed to stop the BJP's juggernaut which, along with its allies, is leading 59 seats in Uttar Pradesh. The overall tally of the BJP stands at 286, four more than its 2014 number. The BJP's performance shows that the 'Mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) experiment of SP and BSP failed to achieve the desired results. Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati - chiefs of SP and BSP respectively - had joined hands in January this year to keep the BJP out. After their surprise annoucement, it was widely believed that the BJP will lose due to cast arithmetic. But the result said otherwise. The Samajwadi Party, as part of the agreement, contested 37 of 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP. While the BSP contested on 38 seats, the RLD, also a part of the alliance, fought from three seats. The SP-BSP-RLD alliance left two seats for the Congress in Amethi and Rae Bareli. Watch: BJP+ achieves massive mandate in Lok Sabha polls In the 2017 assembly election in the state, the BJP had won 312 of the 403 seats in the state - its best-ever tally. On Sunday, shortly after the seventh and last phase of polling for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, four exit polls predicted a win for the National Democratic Alliance and a rout for the SP-BSP alliance in UP. Out of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance was seen winning 52 seats, Congress two and others 26.

Lok Sabha election results 2019: UP numbers show 'Mahagathbandhan' a failed experiment

<p>On a day that threw a slew of surprises, Prime Minister Narendra Modi added another by removing 'Chowkidar' from his Twitter name.&nbsp;</p>

<p>PM Modi tweeted out saying that the word "‘Chowkidar’ goes from my Twitter name but it remains an integral part of me".</p>

<p>In March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi changed his name on his Twitter profile to 'Chowkidar' Narendra Modi, and a number of BJP bigwigs including party president Amit Shah and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal followed suit.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Now, the time has come to take the Chowkidar Spirit to the next level.<br />
<br />
Keep this spirit alive at every moment and continue working for India’s progress.<br />
<br />
The word ‘Chowkidar’ goes from my Twitter name but it remains an integral part of me. Urging you all to do the same too!</p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1131539657794183168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Modi had first referred to himself as the chowkidar (watchman) of the nation in the run-up to the 2014 general elections. "<em>Na khaoonga, na khaane doonga</em> (I will not be corrupt, I will not let others be corrupt)," he had said then. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The others to add the prefix 'Chowkidar' to their Twitter profiles Sunday included BJP president Amit Shah, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, and Health Minister JP Nadda.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"As Chowkidars of our nation, we are committed to creating a clean economy by using cashless financial transactions," Goyal tweeted.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The menace of corruption and black money has adversely affected us for decades. Time to eliminate these for a better future," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Vladimir Putin, Shinzo Abe and other world leaders congratulate PM Modi</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-viladimir-putin-shinzo-abe-and-world-leaders-congratulates-pm-modi-220961/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Modi's adding of the prefix 'Chowkidar' to his name on Twitter was being seen as a response to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's allegation that "Chowkidar chor hai".&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, 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. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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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>
— 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>"<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>

<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>


On a day that threw a slew of surprises, Prime Minister Narendra Modi added another by removing 'Chowkidar' from his Twitter name. PM Modi tweeted out saying that the word "‘Chowkidar’ goes from my Twitter name but it remains an integral part of me".

On a day that threw a slew of surprises, Prime Minister Narendra Modi added another by removing 'Chowkidar' from his Twitter name. PM Modi tweeted out saying that the word "‘Chowkidar’ goes from my Twitter name but it remains an integral part of me". In March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi changed his name on his Twitter profile to 'Chowkidar' Narendra Modi, and a number of BJP bigwigs including party president Amit Shah and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal followed suit. Now, the time has come to take the Chowkidar Spirit to the next level. Keep this spirit alive at every moment and continue working for India’s progress. The word ‘Chowkidar’ goes from my Twitter name but it remains an integral part of me. Urging you all to do the same too! — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2019 × Modi had first referred to himself as the chowkidar (watchman) of the nation in the run-up to the 2014 general elections. "Na khaoonga, na khaane doonga (I will not be corrupt, I will not let others be corrupt)," he had said then. The others to add the prefix 'Chowkidar' to their Twitter profiles Sunday included BJP president Amit Shah, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, and Health Minister JP Nadda. "As Chowkidars of our nation, we are committed to creating a clean economy by using cashless financial transactions," Goyal tweeted. "The menace of corruption and black money has adversely affected us for decades. Time to eliminate these for a better future," he added. Watch: Vladimir Putin, Shinzo Abe and other world leaders congratulate PM Modi Modi's adding of the prefix 'Chowkidar' to his name on Twitter was being seen as a response to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's allegation that "Chowkidar chor hai". Meanwhile, 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 strength to work even harder to fulfil people's aspirations. I salute every BJP Karyakarta for their determination, perseverance & hardwork. They went home to home, elaborating on our development agenda. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2019 × "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.

After BJP's impressive show in Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi drops 'Chowkidar' from Twitter handle

<p>The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is on course to win the 2019 Lok Sabha handsomely. The NDA is so far leading on 348 seats out of 542 on which the polls were held; the BJP's tally stood at 286. This is four more than the party's 2014 tally.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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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>
— 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>BJP's victory was evident from the moment counting began at 8am on Thursday. The BJP's graph kept climbing leaps and bounds and by 9.30am, had crossed the halfway mark of 272 making it clear that the party is again going to form the government at the Centre under the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-thank-you-india-faith-placed-in-our-alliance-is-humbling-pm-modi-221011">leadership of Narendra Modi</a>.</p>

<p>The BJP grabbed the pole position riding on the back of massive gains it made in north Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi - the Hindi heartland of India. Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state and one with the highest number of Lok Sabha seats - 80 - is ready to hand over 59 seats to NDA. Though it is less than its 2014 tally of 71, the party has still managed to emerge as the single largest party in the state against the combined challenge of Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The 'Mahagathbandhan' is so far leading on 20 seats in UP.</p>

<p>Among the most shocking upset of this election came from Amethi, where <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/in-a-neck-and-neck-battle-smriti-irani-defeats-rahul-gandhi-in-amethi-221025">Congress president Rahul Gandhi</a> lost against BJP's Smriti Irani by 35,000 votes. In 2014, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/has-rahul-gandhi-become-a-liability-for-congress-221005">Rahul Gandhi</a> had defeated Irani but by a narrow margin of over a lakh votes. Gandhi, who also contested from Wayanad in Kerala, won the seat by more than eight lakh votes.</p>

<p>The regional satraps, meanwhile, were able holding on to their forts. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is ahead of Bhojpuri singer Nirahua in Azamgarh seat, his father and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav is leading from Mainpuri. Another SP heavyweight Azam Khan is fighting a close battle against actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada from Rampur.</p>

<p>In Bihar, the BJP-led NDA is leading in 38 of the state's 40 seats. The party is in alliance with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) and Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in Bihar. As per the seat-sharing agreement between the three parties, the BJP and JD(U) fought on 17 seats each and LJP on six. In the opposition Mahagathbandhan, the RJD has contested 19 seats giving up Arrah from its quota for the CPI (ML), followed by Congress (09), RLSP (05), HAM (03) and VIP (03).</p>

<p>In the high-stakes battle between Union minister Giriraj Singh and former JNU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Singh emerged victorious.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: BJP party workers celebrate in West Bengal and Mumbai</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/bjp-party-workers-celebrate-in-west-bengal-and-mumbai-220931/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The most-watched state in the election clearly was West Bengal where the BJP was pitted against Trinamool Congress. What made the electoral battle interesting was the skirmishes reported from different parts of the state between TMC and BJP workers. The workers of both parties accused each other of electoral malpractices and violence. Most of the exit polls had predicted an unprecedented surge of the BJP in Bengal this election, BJP president Amit Shah had even said that the party will win 23 seats in Bengal. The predictions seem to be very close to the current tally on the BJP - it is leading in 18 of the state's 42 Lok Sabha seats. In 2014, last time it had just won two. The TMC, meanwhile, won 24.</p>

<p>Celebrations began at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi shortly after trends indicated that the party has already crossed the halfway mark of 272. BJP workers danced and distributed sweets among themselves.</p>

<p>Most of the exit polls on Sunday had predicted a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-2019-look-forward-to-working-for-peace-progress-and-prosperity-in-south-asia-imran-khan-congratulates-pm-modi-220992">win for Narendra Modi</a>-led NDA - some had even said that the victory margin will be a record.</p>


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

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

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

<p>It was the mother-of-all battle, the most-watched contest of this <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">Lok Sabha elections</a>, which was ultimately won by the challenger.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The battleground was Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, a dusty little town widely known as the Congress bastion and stronghold of the Gandhi family. Congress president Rahul Gandhi - who won from Amethi in 2004, 2009 and 2014 - was pitted against BJP's Smriti Irani whom he had defeated in 2014. The 2014 victory margin of one lakh votes was narrow, going by the fact that Amethi is Gandhis' family bastion, but Rahul successfully defended the seat.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/congratulations-to-the-winners-but-all-losers-are-not-losers-how-opposition-reacted-to-lok-sabha-2019-election-results-220926">fortunes were reversed</a> and Irani emerged victorious though by a thin margin of 35,899 votes. But the win had its share of nervous moments in the form of seesaw battle during counting of votes. As soon as the counting began on Thursday morning, early trends showed Smriti Irani leading. But Gandhi was again in the driver’s seat as counting progressed. As times passed, Irani took the lead and eventually won the contest.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">कौन कहता है आसमां में सुराख नहीं हो सकता ...</p>
— Chowkidar Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) <a href="https://twitter.com/smritiirani/status/1131539947905851392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>What makes this battle significant is that a Gandhi had not been defeated from Amethi since 1980, barring 1998. The reversal is surely going to cast a shadow on the future of Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the Congress during its most tumultous phase.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
"We have to introspect, that is for sure. But let the complete result come and let us examine it first," Congress leader Brijesh Kalappa told WION. "We can then go to the drawing board and create a new plan of action," he added.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The voice of the people is the voice of the god. We will have to listen to it and accept the mandate, Kalappa said.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Congress's overall performance has not been up to the mark in UP. It is leading on just one seat in the state; in 2014, the party had won two.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The Congress was not part of the 'Mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) of Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and had fielded its own candidates. This year's result has also raised questions on Congress's future which has suffered yet another defeat at the hands of the BJP. From winning 430 Lok Sabha seats in 1989, India's Grand Old Party was reduced to just 44 seats in 2014 elections. And this year's setback will make the things worse for it.</p>


It was the mother-of-all battle, the most-watched contest of this Lok Sabha elections, which was ultimately won by the challenger. The battleground was Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, a dusty little town widely known as the Congress bastion and stronghold of the Gandhi family.

It was the mother-of-all battle, the most-watched contest of this Lok Sabha elections, which was ultimately won by the challenger. The battleground was Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, a dusty little town widely known as the Congress bastion and stronghold of the Gandhi family. Congress president Rahul Gandhi - who won from Amethi in 2004, 2009 and 2014 - was pitted against BJP's Smriti Irani whom he had defeated in 2014. The 2014 victory margin of one lakh votes was narrow, going by the fact that Amethi is Gandhis' family bastion, but Rahul successfully defended the seat. In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the fortunes were reversed and Irani emerged victorious though by a thin margin of 35,899 votes. But the win had its share of nervous moments in the form of seesaw battle during counting of votes. As soon as the counting began on Thursday morning, early trends showed Smriti Irani leading. But Gandhi was again in the driver’s seat as counting progressed. As times passed, Irani took the lead and eventually won the contest. कौन कहता है आसमां में सुराख नहीं हो सकता ... — Chowkidar Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) May 23, 2019 × What makes this battle significant is that a Gandhi had not been defeated from Amethi since 1980, barring 1998. The reversal is surely going to cast a shadow on the future of Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the Congress during its most tumultous phase. "We have to introspect, that is for sure. But let the complete result come and let us examine it first," Congress leader Brijesh Kalappa told WION. "We can then go to the drawing board and create a new plan of action," he added. The voice of the people is the voice of the god. We will have to listen to it and accept the mandate, Kalappa said. Congress's overall performance has not been up to the mark in UP. It is leading on just one seat in the state; in 2014, the party had won two. The Congress was not part of the 'Mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) of Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and had fielded its own candidates. This year's result has also raised questions on Congress's future which has suffered yet another defeat at the hands of the BJP. From winning 430 Lok Sabha seats in 1989, India's Grand Old Party was reduced to just 44 seats in 2014 elections. And this year's setback will make the things worse for it.

In neck and neck battle, Smriti Irani defeats Rahul Gandhi in Amethi

Lok Sabha election result 2019: BJP heads to historic win as Modi wave sweeps India

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