The Union Cabinet is expected to meet today to pass the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha. Watch this video to know more.

India Votes: Union Cabinet to meet today

The benchmark BSE Sensex rallied nearly 400 points early trade on Friday after a historic mandate won by the PM Narendra Modi government Lok Sabha polls 2019.

Election commission data showed Modi’s National Democratic Alliance has secured 350 seats, with BJP alone winning 303 seats in the 2019 general elections.&nbsp;

In 2014, the party won 282 seats, the NDA had won 336. It was the first time in more than three decades that a single party won the majority on its own.

At 9:20 am, the Sensex was up 285 points at 39,096, and the Nifty50 was trading 73 points higher at 11,731.

Yesterday, BSE Sensex surged over 1,000 points to touch the 40,000-mark for the first time ever following the BJP's thumping electoral show, but could not sustain the euphoria as investors chose to cash in on the gains.

In similar movement, the broader NSE Nifty ad crossed the historic 12,000-level after early trends gave the BJP a comfortable majority in the Lok Sabha, but succumbed to profit booking towards the fag-end of the session.

Foreign institutional investors to believe that a stable government will lead to decisive governance and continuing reforms in the world`s fastest-growing economy.

Meanwhile, Asian stocks traded in the red as investor concerns grew over the escalating US-China trade tensions. Shares fell in the negative territory in Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Seoul.&nbsp; 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The benchmark BSE Sensex rallied nearly 400 points early trade on Friday after a historic mandate won by the PM Narendra Modi government Lok Sabha polls 2019. Election commission data showed Modi’s National Democratic Alliance has secured 350 seats, with BJP alone winning 303 seats in the 2019 general elections.

The benchmark BSE Sensex rallied nearly 400 points early trade on Friday after a historic mandate won by the PM Narendra Modi government Lok Sabha polls 2019. Election commission data showed Modi’s National Democratic Alliance has secured 350 seats, with BJP alone winning 303 seats in the 2019 general elections. In 2014, the party won 282 seats, the NDA had won 336. It was the first time in more than three decades that a single party won the majority on its own. At 9:20 am, the Sensex was up 285 points at 39,096, and the Nifty50 was trading 73 points higher at 11,731. Yesterday, BSE Sensex surged over 1,000 points to touch the 40,000-mark for the first time ever following the BJP's thumping electoral show, but could not sustain the euphoria as investors chose to cash in on the gains. In similar movement, the broader NSE Nifty ad crossed the historic 12,000-level after early trends gave the BJP a comfortable majority in the Lok Sabha, but succumbed to profit booking towards the fag-end of the session. Foreign institutional investors to believe that a stable government will lead to decisive governance and continuing reforms in the world`s fastest-growing economy. Meanwhile, Asian stocks traded in the red as investor concerns grew over the escalating US-China trade tensions. Shares fell in the negative territory in Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Seoul. (With inputs from agencies)

Sensex opens 300 points higher as India gives NDA a bigger mandate than 2014

The YSR Congress Party, led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, on Thursday stormed to power in Andhra Pradesh with a landslide victory, winning 148 seats in the 175-member Assembly. The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) was leading in two other constituencies. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which was in power, bit the dust across the state, only bagging 19 seats so far while being ahead in 5 other seats. Watch this video to know more.

India Votes: Jagan Reddy trumps Chandrababu Naidu

Watch SWOT analysis for the Prime Minister of India only on WION, World Is One.

India Votes: SWOT analysis for the Prime Minister of India

World leaders welcome back PM Modi. Putin, Xi, Netanyahu congratulated PM Modi. Bhutan & Japan PM hail PM Modi's landslide victory. #GeneralElections2019 #LokSabhaElectionResult #PMModi #BJP #ResultsOnWion

India Votes: Wishes pour in for PM Modi

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has recorded a landslide victory in 2019 Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha election. The Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal Mahagathbandhan failed to halt the Modi juggernaut, as Modi came back to power with a resounding victory margin. Congress suffered the biggest setback with party chief Rahul Gandhi losing the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency to BJP's Smriti Irani after a long neck-and-neck battle. Watch this video to know more.

India Votes: The test for political relevance

Rahul Gandhi concedes his defeat in a press conference. He also congratulated PM Modi as well as Smriti Irani for winning from Congress bastion Amethi. #GeneralElections2019 #LokSabhaElectionResults #PMModi #BJP #ResultsOnWion

India Votes: Rahul Gandhi loses Congress bastion Amethi

Wishes from all across the world poured-in for Narendra Modi for his re-election for the second consecutive term in the country.

From tweets to phone calls to letters, global leaders made a beeline to congratulate Prime Minister Modi.&nbsp;

Over 20 world leaders congratulated PM Modi for his victory.

The prime minister received calls from 13 leaders including Bangladesh, Bhutan (the king and the PM), Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Russia, France, Japan, Australia, Mauritius, UAE and Israel after his landslide victory.

Leaders from all South Asian countries extended wishes to PM Modi with Sri Lankan leadership being the first and Pakistan being the last via a tweet from Pak PM Imran Khan.

Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the first foreign leader to call PM Modi and congratulate him.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs readout, during the conversation, "Both leaders noted the advances made in the bilateral relationship in the last five years"

The Japanese foreign ministry readout said PM Abe stated that "He would like to closely work with Prime Minister Modi hand in hand toward strengthening Japan-India relations and realising a free and open Indo-Pacific"

PM Modi will be in Japan in the last week of June for the G20 Osaka Summit while Japanese PM will come to India later this year for the next India-Japan Annual Summit.

Israel

Calling PM Modi a friend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted in Hindi and congratulated him.&nbsp;

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मेरे दोस्त <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> आपके प्रभावशाली चुनावी जीत पर हार्दिक बधाई! ये चुनावी नतीजे एक बार फिर दुनिया के सबसे बड़े लोकतंत्र में आपके नेतृत्व को साबित करते हैं। हम साथ मिलकर भारत और इज़राइल के बीच घनिष्ट मित्रता को मजबूत करना जारी रखेंगे । बहुत बढ़िया, मेरे दोस्त 🇮🇱🤝🇮🇳
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) <a href="https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/1131472416872509441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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He lauded PM Modi's mandate and said, "The election results further reaffirm your leadership of the world's largest democracy."

UAE

Another leader from West Asia to congratulate PM other than Israel was the United Arab Emirates. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan made a phone call to PM Modi. UAE in April had honoured PM Modi with Zayed Medal, the highest civil honour of the country.

France

French President Emmanuel Macron also made a congratulatory phone call to PM Modi wherein Prime Minister Modi thanked France for its steadfast support to India on critical issues, MEA stated. President Macron described "PM Modi as one of the foremost leaders of the democratic world", the government readout added.&nbsp;

PM Modi will visit France in August 2019 for a bilateral meeting and will also attend the G7 Summit at Biarritz.

China

China was quick to congratulate PM Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping writing a letter to him. While congratulating PM Modi for re-election, Jinping said, "China-India relations have shown strong momentum of development under the joint efforts of both sides".&nbsp;

In the letter, President Xi noted the great importance he attached to the development of Indo-Chinese relations and his desire to work with Prime Minister Modi to take "Partnership between the two countries to a new height."

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Congratulation letter from H.E. Mr. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/XiJinping?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#XiJinping</a>, President of the People’s Republic of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/China?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#China</a>, addressed to Shri. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NarendraModi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NarendraModi</a> for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NationalDemocraticAlliance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NationalDemocraticAlliance</a> winning the 17th Lok Sabha election of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a>. <a href="https://t.co/FKFduaDarM">pic.twitter.com/FKFduaDarM</a>
— Luo Zhaohui (@China_Amb_India) <a href="https://twitter.com/China_Amb_India/status/1131489567855407104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Chinese President Xi Jinping and PM Modi met four times in 2018 starting with the famous informal summit in Wuhan in April 2018. Jinping will be visiting India this year for the second informal summit.

Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin also wrote a letter to PM Modi wherein he said, "As the Prime Minister of the Republic of India you will further contribute to strengthening the centuries-old friendship between our people". He further reiterated his "readiness to continue fruitful personal contacts".

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Russian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Russian</a> President Vladimir <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Putin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Putin</a> made a telephone call to Prime Minister of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> to congratulate him on the resounding victory of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BJP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BJP</a> in the general parliamentary elections. 
 
🌐 <a href="https://t.co/CFPgO3Ww8T">https://t.co/CFPgO3Ww8T</a> <a href="https://t.co/67bGQqDcYG">pic.twitter.com/67bGQqDcYG</a>
— Russia in India (@RusEmbIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/RusEmbIndia/status/1131527754514485248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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May last year saw the first informal summit between PM Modi and Vladimir Putin in the resort town of Sochi. Later that year, Putin visited India for the annual summit.

US

The US also congratulated PM Modi on his victory.

"Great things are in store for the US-India partnership with the return of PM Modi at the helm" Trump tweeted on Modi's victory.

The US envoy &nbsp;Ken Juster while congratulating PM Modi said, "The United States looks forward to working closely with our strategic partner India in the years to come."

Australia&nbsp;

PM Modi also received calls from Australian PM Scott Morrison who got re-elected a few days back.

In a tweet, Australian PM said, "Australia and India enjoy a strong, vibrant and strategic partnership" and he looks forward to meeting him.

South Asia congratulates PM Modi

Sri Lanka

In fact, it was a South Asian leader to first congratulate PM Modi with a tweet. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was the first world leader to tweet congratulations at 12.34 pm IST.&nbsp;

In a tweet, he said, "Congratulations to @narendramodi on a magnificent victory! We look forward to working closely with you".&nbsp;

By 1 PM IST, all three top leaders of Sri Lanka - The President, PM and Leader of opposition had tweeted congratulations.

President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena tweeted his country "looks forward to continuing the warm and constructive relationship with India in the future".

While the opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa said, "Both our nations will build on the existing strong bilateral relationship that we share".

The Sri Lankan Prime Minister also wrote a letter to PM Modi in which he extended "warmest congratulations" and "sincere best wishes on the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party at the recent general elections of India and your reassumption of the high office of Prime Minister of India".

Bhutan

PM Modi received calls from King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Bhutanese Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering, Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina and Nepal's PM &nbsp;K P Sharma Oli.

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I, on behalf of the people of Bhutan, offer heartiest congratulations to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PMOIndia</a> and his team on the election victory. As we look forward to working closely in years to come, we pray India achieves greater success under your leadership.
— PM Bhutan (@PMBhutan) <a href="https://twitter.com/PMBhutan/status/1131498760444399616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Nepal

On PM Oli's call to PM Modi, Ministry of External Affairs in a readout said, " PM Modi thanked PM Oli for his warm words of felicitations and reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthen the bonds of India-Nepal friendship."

Bangladesh

In her congratulatory message to Narendra Modi, Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina said, “I strongly believe that with the renewed mandate given to both of us by our respective peoples, Bangladesh-India ties, which have already been termed as a role model of good neighbourliness, will be further consolidated and our relations will scale newer heights”.&nbsp;

Hasina herself got landslide victory herself during elections in her country in December of 2018.

Maldives

Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and foreign minister also congratulated PM Modi. The Maldivian President said the re election of Narendra Modi "is a strong affirmation of the Indian people's confidence in the BJP/led government"

Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid sent a message of congratulations to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in which he said the "win is a decisive endorsement of the sound development policies and active foreign policy of the Government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the past five years"

Afghanistan

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani while congratulating PM Modi said, "The government and the people of Afghanistan look forward to expanding cooperation between our two democracies in pursuit of regional cooperation, peace and prosperity for all of South Asia."

Pakistan

Pakistani Prime Minister was the last South Asian leader to congratulate PM Modi. In a tweet, he said, "I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies." Adding that he looks "forward to working with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia".&nbsp;

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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) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1131526476828893184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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PM Modi and Pakistani PM will be under the same roof in their present capacity for the first time during next month's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan.

During his oath-taking ceremony in his first tenure in 2014, PM Modi had invited all the leaders of SAARC countries.

Other global leaders

Other leaders who reached out to PM Modi include Singapore's PM Lee Hsien Loong, PM of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc who sent a letter to PM Modi and PM of Portugal António Costa who tweeted congratulations to PM Modi.

President of Tanzania Dr John Magufuli was the first African leader to congratulate PM Modi.

Wishes from all across the world poured-in for Narendra Modi for his re-election for the second consecutive term in the country. From tweets to phone calls to letters, global leaders made a beeline to congratulate Prime Minister Modi.

Wishes from all across the world poured-in for Narendra Modi for his re-election for the second consecutive term in the country. From tweets to phone calls to letters, global leaders made a beeline to congratulate Prime Minister Modi. Over 20 world leaders congratulated PM Modi for his victory. The prime minister received calls from 13 leaders including Bangladesh, Bhutan (the king and the PM), Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Russia, France, Japan, Australia, Mauritius, UAE and Israel after his landslide victory. Leaders from all South Asian countries extended wishes to PM Modi with Sri Lankan leadership being the first and Pakistan being the last via a tweet from Pak PM Imran Khan. Japan Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the first foreign leader to call PM Modi and congratulate him. According to the Ministry of External Affairs readout, during the conversation, "Both leaders noted the advances made in the bilateral relationship in the last five years" The Japanese foreign ministry readout said PM Abe stated that "He would like to closely work with Prime Minister Modi hand in hand toward strengthening Japan-India relations and realising a free and open Indo-Pacific" PM Modi will be in Japan in the last week of June for the G20 Osaka Summit while Japanese PM will come to India later this year for the next India-Japan Annual Summit. Israel Calling PM Modi a friend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted in Hindi and congratulated him. मेरे दोस्त @narendramodi आपके प्रभावशाली चुनावी जीत पर हार्दिक बधाई! ये चुनावी नतीजे एक बार फिर दुनिया के सबसे बड़े लोकतंत्र में आपके नेतृत्व को साबित करते हैं। हम साथ मिलकर भारत और इज़राइल के बीच घनिष्ट मित्रता को मजबूत करना जारी रखेंगे । बहुत बढ़िया, मेरे दोस्त 🇮🇱🤝🇮🇳 — Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) May 23, 2019 × He lauded PM Modi's mandate and said, "The election results further reaffirm your leadership of the world's largest democracy." UAE Another leader from West Asia to congratulate PM other than Israel was the United Arab Emirates. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan made a phone call to PM Modi. UAE in April had honoured PM Modi with Zayed Medal, the highest civil honour of the country. France French President Emmanuel Macron also made a congratulatory phone call to PM Modi wherein Prime Minister Modi thanked France for its steadfast support to India on critical issues, MEA stated. President Macron described "PM Modi as one of the foremost leaders of the democratic world", the government readout added. PM Modi will visit France in August 2019 for a bilateral meeting and will also attend the G7 Summit at Biarritz. China China was quick to congratulate PM Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping writing a letter to him. While congratulating PM Modi for re-election, Jinping said, "China-India relations have shown strong momentum of development under the joint efforts of both sides". In the letter, President Xi noted the great importance he attached to the development of Indo-Chinese relations and his desire to work with Prime Minister Modi to take "Partnership between the two countries to a new height." Congratulation letter from H.E. Mr. #XiJinping, President of the People’s Republic of #China, addressed to Shri. #NarendraModi for the #NationalDemocraticAlliance winning the 17th Lok Sabha election of #India. pic.twitter.com/FKFduaDarM — Luo Zhaohui (@China_Amb_India) May 23, 2019 × Chinese President Xi Jinping and PM Modi met four times in 2018 starting with the famous informal summit in Wuhan in April 2018. Jinping will be visiting India this year for the second informal summit. Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin also wrote a letter to PM Modi wherein he said, "As the Prime Minister of the Republic of India you will further contribute to strengthening the centuries-old friendship between our people". He further reiterated his "readiness to continue fruitful personal contacts". #Russian President Vladimir #Putin made a telephone call to Prime Minister of #India @narendramodi to congratulate him on the resounding victory of #BJP in the general parliamentary elections. 🌐 https://t.co/CFPgO3Ww8T pic.twitter.com/67bGQqDcYG — Russia in India (@RusEmbIndia) May 23, 2019 × May last year saw the first informal summit between PM Modi and Vladimir Putin in the resort town of Sochi. Later that year, Putin visited India for the annual summit. US The US also congratulated PM Modi on his victory. "Great things are in store for the US-India partnership with the return of PM Modi at the helm" Trump tweeted on Modi's victory. The US envoy Ken Juster while congratulating PM Modi said, "The United States looks forward to working closely with our strategic partner India in the years to come." Australia PM Modi also received calls from Australian PM Scott Morrison who got re-elected a few days back. In a tweet, Australian PM said, "Australia and India enjoy a strong, vibrant and strategic partnership" and he looks forward to meeting him. South Asia congratulates PM Modi Sri Lanka In fact, it was a South Asian leader to first congratulate PM Modi with a tweet. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was the first world leader to tweet congratulations at 12.34 pm IST. In a tweet, he said, "Congratulations to @narendramodi on a magnificent victory! We look forward to working closely with you". By 1 PM IST, all three top leaders of Sri Lanka - The President, PM and Leader of opposition had tweeted congratulations. President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena tweeted his country "looks forward to continuing the warm and constructive relationship with India in the future". While the opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa said, "Both our nations will build on the existing strong bilateral relationship that we share". The Sri Lankan Prime Minister also wrote a letter to PM Modi in which he extended "warmest congratulations" and "sincere best wishes on the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party at the recent general elections of India and your reassumption of the high office of Prime Minister of India". Bhutan PM Modi received calls from King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Bhutanese Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering, Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina and Nepal's PM K P Sharma Oli. I, on behalf of the people of Bhutan, offer heartiest congratulations to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi @PMOIndia and his team on the election victory. As we look forward to working closely in years to come, we pray India achieves greater success under your leadership. — PM Bhutan (@PMBhutan) May 23, 2019 × Nepal On PM Oli's call to PM Modi, Ministry of External Affairs in a readout said, " PM Modi thanked PM Oli for his warm words of felicitations and reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthen the bonds of India-Nepal friendship." Bangladesh In her congratulatory message to Narendra Modi, Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina said, “I strongly believe that with the renewed mandate given to both of us by our respective peoples, Bangladesh-India ties, which have already been termed as a role model of good neighbourliness, will be further consolidated and our relations will scale newer heights”. Hasina herself got landslide victory herself during elections in her country in December of 2018. Maldives Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and foreign minister also congratulated PM Modi. The Maldivian President said the re election of Narendra Modi "is a strong affirmation of the Indian people's confidence in the BJP/led government" Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid sent a message of congratulations to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in which he said the "win is a decisive endorsement of the sound development policies and active foreign policy of the Government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the past five years" Afghanistan Afghan President Ashraf Ghani while congratulating PM Modi said, "The government and the people of Afghanistan look forward to expanding cooperation between our two democracies in pursuit of regional cooperation, peace and prosperity for all of South Asia." Pakistan Pakistani Prime Minister was the last South Asian leader to congratulate PM Modi. In a tweet, he said, "I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies." Adding that he looks "forward to working with him 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 — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 23, 2019 × PM Modi and Pakistani PM will be under the same roof in their present capacity for the first time during next month's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan. During his oath-taking ceremony in his first tenure in 2014, PM Modi had invited all the leaders of SAARC countries. Other global leaders Other leaders who reached out to PM Modi include Singapore's PM Lee Hsien Loong, PM of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc who sent a letter to PM Modi and PM of Portugal António Costa who tweeted congratulations to PM Modi. President of Tanzania Dr John Magufuli was the first African leader to congratulate PM Modi.

World leaders congratulate PM Modi on re-election, 13 leaders call him

Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again choosen with a historic madate. But what's his next moves over Nation building? Job creation, foreign policies and economy are the major concens.

What's next for PM Modi? Economy, job creation, foreign policies in queue

The BJP repeated it <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/nothing-is-impossible-giantslayer-smriti-irani-topples-rahul-gandhi-in-amethi-221132">superlative performance</a> in five key Hindi-speaking states of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/in-up-bjp-gets-60-and-counting-sp-bsp-struggles-to-touch-15-221133">Uttar Pradesh,</a> Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, as the party along with its allies not only bagged or was leading in 165 out of 185 Lok Sabha seats, but also enjoyed a massive vote swing in its favour.

The NDA's strike rate of nearly 90 per cent was similar to 2014 when it won 166 of 185 seats, including 73 (BJP 71, Apna Dal 2) out of 80 in Uttar Pradesh.

The NDA won 63 seats&nbsp;in Uttar Pradesh, despite facing the formidable caste arithmetic of SP-BSP-RLD alliance. The party also increased its vote share to a whopping 49.5 per cent in the state, where it won the prized trophy of Amethi, a pocket borough of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

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The party also proved wrong the political observers who were of the view that the BJP will find it difficult to repeat its 2014 success in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh after losing power in the three states to the Congress in 2018.

It again swept all 25 seats in Rajasthan, improved its tally by one in Madhya Pradesh by winning or leading in 27&nbsp;out of 29 seats. In Chhattisgarh, it was ahead in nine of the 11 seats.

BJP leaders have insisted that the <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">support for Modi </a>combined with the three state governments' "unimpressive" performance swung the electoral pendulum in the saffron party's favour.

BJP president Amit Shah had asserted that his party will repeat its sweep of the three states and also do better in Uttar Pradesh.

In Bihar, where the BJP joined hands with the JD(U) this time and sacrificed its winning seats, the party won all 17 seats it contested. The JD(U) bagged 16 while the Lok Janshakti Party got six seats, leaving just one for the rival Congress. The NDA had won 31 out of 40 seats in 2014.

The NDA's vote share also neared 50 per cent in the state with BJP, JD(U) and LJP accounting for 23.6 per cent, 21.8 per cent and 7.9 per cent of votes respectively.

The BJP's vote share jumped to a whopping 58 per cent in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and 50.7 per cent in Chhattisgarh.

The party also swept the three states of Haryana (10 seats), Uttarakhand (5) and Himachal Pradesh (4).

The BJP's vote share in Haryana surged to nearly 60 per cent this year. In 2014, its vote share was 34.7 per cent.

The BJP repeated it superlative performance in five key Hindi-speaking states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, as the party along with its allies not only bagged or was leading in 165 out of 185 Lok Sabha seats, but also enjoyed a massive vote swing in its favour.

The BJP repeated it superlative performance in five key Hindi-speaking states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, as the party along with its allies not only bagged or was leading in 165 out of 185 Lok Sabha seats, but also enjoyed a massive vote swing in its favour. The NDA's strike rate of nearly 90 per cent was similar to 2014 when it won 166 of 185 seats, including 73 (BJP 71, Apna Dal 2) out of 80 in Uttar Pradesh. The NDA won 63 seats in Uttar Pradesh, despite facing the formidable caste arithmetic of SP-BSP-RLD alliance. The party also increased its vote share to a whopping 49.5 per cent in the state, where it won the prized trophy of Amethi, a pocket borough of the Nehru-Gandhi family. The party also proved wrong the political observers who were of the view that the BJP will find it difficult to repeat its 2014 success in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh after losing power in the three states to the Congress in 2018. It again swept all 25 seats in Rajasthan, improved its tally by one in Madhya Pradesh by winning or leading in 27 out of 29 seats. In Chhattisgarh, it was ahead in nine of the 11 seats. BJP leaders have insisted that the support for Modi combined with the three state governments' "unimpressive" performance swung the electoral pendulum in the saffron party's favour. BJP president Amit Shah had asserted that his party will repeat its sweep of the three states and also do better in Uttar Pradesh. In Bihar, where the BJP joined hands with the JD(U) this time and sacrificed its winning seats, the party won all 17 seats it contested. The JD(U) bagged 16 while the Lok Janshakti Party got six seats, leaving just one for the rival Congress. The NDA had won 31 out of 40 seats in 2014. The NDA's vote share also neared 50 per cent in the state with BJP, JD(U) and LJP accounting for 23.6 per cent, 21.8 per cent and 7.9 per cent of votes respectively. The BJP's vote share jumped to a whopping 58 per cent in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and 50.7 per cent in Chhattisgarh. The party also swept the three states of Haryana (10 seats), Uttarakhand (5) and Himachal Pradesh (4). The BJP's vote share in Haryana surged to nearly 60 per cent this year. In 2014, its vote share was 34.7 per cent.

BJP proves sceptics wrong with stunning performance in Hindi heartland

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

Lok Sabha Election 2019: BJP Parliamentary to meet on Sunday

A day after Indian general elections results were announced and Bharatiya Janata Party emerged victorious with a thumping majority, veteran actress Shabana Azmi took to Twitter to wish PM Narendra Modi on his party’s victory.&nbsp;

Azmi wrote, "What a strong mandate the people of India have given. Congratulations @narendramodi and NDA led by BJP.”

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
What a strong mandate the people of India have given. Congratulations <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> and NDA led by BJP.
— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) <a href="https://twitter.com/AzmiShabana/status/1131549417461313536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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Soon after she posted, the actress was trolled as some users said that the actress had vowed to leave the country if PM Modi would emerge victorious in the election. However, Azmi rubbished these reports and said that the ‘fake news brigade’ had attributed a&nbsp;false quote to her. She further added that&nbsp;she is born in India and will take her last breath here.&nbsp;

Some trolls at work:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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फ़ावेद फाहब कहाँ हैं ?
— Ashish Joshi (@kuch_bhi_joshi) <a href="https://twitter.com/kuch_bhi_joshi/status/1131549854860226561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
रात को भी गाड़ी है बहुत सारी पाकिस्तान जाने के।कब निकल रही हो
— मंदिर वहीं बनाएंगे (@Dubey_ji_kahin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dubey_ji_kahin/status/1131569199774441472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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समान पैक कर लिया क्या??
— D. S. Rawat🇮🇳 (@rawat77777) <a href="https://twitter.com/rawat77777/status/1131573278001098753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Mil gayi aazaadi tukde tukde gang ko? 😊
— VishwaGuruBharat (@vbghia) <a href="https://twitter.com/vbghia/status/1131552870006808576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A day after Indian general elections results were announced and Bharatiya Janata Party emerged victorious with a thumping majority, veteran actress Shabana Azmi took to Twitter to wish PM Narendra Modi on his party’s victory.

A day after Indian general elections results were announced and Bharatiya Janata Party emerged victorious with a thumping majority, veteran actress Shabana Azmi took to Twitter to wish PM Narendra Modi on his party’s victory. Azmi wrote, "What a strong mandate the people of India have given. Congratulations @narendramodi and NDA led by BJP.” What a strong mandate the people of India have given. Congratulations @narendramodi and NDA led by BJP. — Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) May 23, 2019 × Soon after she posted, the actress was trolled as some users said that the actress had vowed to leave the country if PM Modi would emerge victorious in the election. However, Azmi rubbished these reports and said that the ‘fake news brigade’ had attributed a false quote to her. She further added that she is born in India and will take her last breath here. Some trolls at work: फ़ावेद फाहब कहाँ हैं ? — Ashish Joshi (@kuch_bhi_joshi) May 23, 2019 × रात को भी गाड़ी है बहुत सारी पाकिस्तान जाने के।कब निकल रही हो — मंदिर वहीं बनाएंगे (@Dubey_ji_kahin) May 23, 2019 × समान पैक कर लिया क्या?? — D. S. Rawat🇮🇳 (@rawat77777) May 23, 2019 × Mil gayi aazaadi tukde tukde gang ko? 😊 — VishwaGuruBharat (@vbghia) May 23, 2019 ×

Lok Sabha election result: Shabana Azmi trolled for congratulating PM Modi on landslide victory

The results for the 2019 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/lok-sabha-elections-2019-better-management-of-vote-bank-contradictions-nationalism-and-development-were-bjps-keys-221176">Lok Sabha elections</a> are out. BJP is back with a thumping majority and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-polls-2019-pm-modi-made-the-election-a-referendum-on-his-leadership-says-foreign-media-221210">Prime Minister Narendra Modi </a>striding back to power with a staggering mandate, the anticipation is now on when his government would be sworn in.

As per the latest reports, the swearing-in ceremony could take place by the middle of next week — May 30 is the likely date.

In the last Lok Sabha polls, while the counting took place on May 16, PM Modi and his cabinet ministers took oath on May 26.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah Friday called on party veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, a day after the party-led NDA returned to power at the Centre with a massive mandate. "Called on respected Advani Ji. The BJP's successes today are possible because greats like him spent decades building the party and providing a fresh ideological narrative to the people," Modi tweeted.

With over 50% vote share in 300+ seats, Narendra Modi becomes first PM since Nehru to return to power with a bigger mandate.

(With inputs from agencies)

The results for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are out. BJP is back with a thumping majority and Prime Minister Narendra Modi striding back to power with a staggering mandate, the anticipation is now on when his government would be sworn in.

The results for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are out. BJP is back with a thumping majority and Prime Minister Narendra Modi striding back to power with a staggering mandate, the anticipation is now on when his government would be sworn in. As per the latest reports, the swearing-in ceremony could take place by the middle of next week — May 30 is the likely date. In the last Lok Sabha polls, while the counting took place on May 16, PM Modi and his cabinet ministers took oath on May 26. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah Friday called on party veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, a day after the party-led NDA returned to power at the Centre with a massive mandate. "Called on respected Advani Ji. The BJP's successes today are possible because greats like him spent decades building the party and providing a fresh ideological narrative to the people," Modi tweeted. With over 50% vote share in 300+ seats, Narendra Modi becomes first PM since Nehru to return to power with a bigger mandate. (With inputs from agencies)

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Narendra Modi likely to take oath as Prime Minister on May 30

India recorded a stupendous victory by NDA in the Lok Sabha elections 2019, powering the BJP to over 300 seats in the 543-member lower house of Parliament. Watch this video to know how global media reacted to Indian elections.

India Votes: Global media reacts to Indian elections

Counting for 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar concluded on Thursday with the BJP-led NDA winning 39 out of 40 seats at stake in the stake. It was a disastrous show from Congress and its allies RJD, RLSP, HAM and VIP as they managed to win just one seat. Watch this video to know more.

PM Modi's women-centric schemes the secret ?

The Congress party is at the crossroads of its 134-year-old existence. Despite a rousing electoral campaign, aided by liberal photo-ops and larger-than-life sound-bytes, it is abundantly clear that Rahul Gandhi is not a saleable commodity.

Had there been anyone else in Rahul’s place, minus a Congress lineage as distinguished as his, he would have long been shown the door and pushed into political oblivion.&nbsp;

However, fact is that Rahul has continued merrily since March 2004 when he first announced his entry into politics. Fifteen years down the line, this is his time of denouement. Where does Congress go from here? Indeed, where does Rahul go from here?

Rahul’s ‘chowkidar chor hai’ slogan is going to come haunt him and surely will go down as one of the most ill-conceived pieces of poll-time sloganeering — one that may well have signed the epitaph of India’s oldest political party.

The larger question is whether in an aspirational India, entitlement itself is under the hammer as suddenly, even the lowest of the low is feeling the pangs of empowerment. After all, for over six decades, India has invested in democracy and it has to show somewhere. Birth may no longer be enough to win public office, even though there are political scions who have won elections this time as well.

Since his debut in 2004, Rahul has been held out as the great Congress hope to pull the party’s chestnuts out of the fire. It has not played out that way. The party was vanquished out of India’s most politically crucial state, Uttar Pradesh, in 1989, and it has not come back to the Congress. Thereafter, despite being repeatedly projected as the Congress’ prime ministerial aspirant, Rahul has come a cropper, including in a couple of Assembly elections in UP, where the party has been all but marginalised.

A few years ago, there was hope. From winning 10 Lok Sabha seats in 2004 in UP to 21 out of 80 seats in 2009, there seemed promise, but since then, the Modi tsunami has simply swept aside whatever was left of the fight.&nbsp;

In 2019, it has been no different. This time, the Congress pulled out another supposed ace — Priyanka Gandhi — from its pack of cards to make a dent into proceedings. However, Priyanka’s foray into UP politics in poll 2019 is another classic example of what has gone wrong with Congress politics. First, came the coy announcement — not so much an announcement as a mealy-mouthed hint — that she may contest from Varanasi. It energised a demoralised Congress cadre, lying dormant for decades in the state. But only temporarily. Within days came a less-than-upfront denial that she had no such plans. Potentially, a Modi-Priyanka standoff was a mouth-watering contest, which would have compelled the prime minister to stay put in his constituency, without travelling too much. But the prospect of defeat is simply too much to stomach for the Gandhi family and Priyanka backed out at the last minute.

Congress’s first family is obviously out of touch. Rahul, who had the opportunity of acquiring experience under the Manmohan Singh dispensation as a minister, simply let go of the opportunity — apparently he was made for better things like being prime minister, which has not come to be till now. It would have been a chance of a lifetime to work in a government and see how things function from inside the system. He does not know how a government works, while arch rival Narendra Modi does, having served three terms as Gujarat chief minister.&nbsp;

Likewise, Priyanka backed out from a straight fight against the PM in Varanasi. In the worst case scenario, she would have lost, but the mileage gained would have been worth its weight in gold. For the Gandhi family, no public offices are now given — they will have to fight for it tooth and nail.

Rahul’s rise in the party organisation has been steady. In a reshuffle, he was appointed general secretary of the All India Congress Committee in September 2007. In 2013, he was elevated to the position of party vice-president. But tragically, Congress under his leadership slumped to its lowest-ever tally of 43 Lok Sabha seats. In 2019, it is only an incremental improvement. Rahul’s tally of fancy party designations has led to a corresponding decline in the fortunes of his party.&nbsp; 
 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-gandhi-family-s-hold-takes-congress-down-the-drain-2753025">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The Congress party is at the crossroads of its 134-year-old existence. Despite a rousing electoral campaign, aided by liberal photo-ops and larger-than-life sound-bytes, it is abundantly clear that Rahul Gandhi is not a saleable commodity.

The Congress party is at the crossroads of its 134-year-old existence. Despite a rousing electoral campaign, aided by liberal photo-ops and larger-than-life sound-bytes, it is abundantly clear that Rahul Gandhi is not a saleable commodity. Had there been anyone else in Rahul’s place, minus a Congress lineage as distinguished as his, he would have long been shown the door and pushed into political oblivion. However, fact is that Rahul has continued merrily since March 2004 when he first announced his entry into politics. Fifteen years down the line, this is his time of denouement. Where does Congress go from here? Indeed, where does Rahul go from here? Rahul’s ‘chowkidar chor hai’ slogan is going to come haunt him and surely will go down as one of the most ill-conceived pieces of poll-time sloganeering — one that may well have signed the epitaph of India’s oldest political party. The larger question is whether in an aspirational India, entitlement itself is under the hammer as suddenly, even the lowest of the low is feeling the pangs of empowerment. After all, for over six decades, India has invested in democracy and it has to show somewhere. Birth may no longer be enough to win public office, even though there are political scions who have won elections this time as well. Since his debut in 2004, Rahul has been held out as the great Congress hope to pull the party’s chestnuts out of the fire. It has not played out that way. The party was vanquished out of India’s most politically crucial state, Uttar Pradesh, in 1989, and it has not come back to the Congress. Thereafter, despite being repeatedly projected as the Congress’ prime ministerial aspirant, Rahul has come a cropper, including in a couple of Assembly elections in UP, where the party has been all but marginalised. A few years ago, there was hope. From winning 10 Lok Sabha seats in 2004 in UP to 21 out of 80 seats in 2009, there seemed promise, but since then, the Modi tsunami has simply swept aside whatever was left of the fight. In 2019, it has been no different. This time, the Congress pulled out another supposed ace — Priyanka Gandhi — from its pack of cards to make a dent into proceedings. However, Priyanka’s foray into UP politics in poll 2019 is another classic example of what has gone wrong with Congress politics. First, came the coy announcement — not so much an announcement as a mealy-mouthed hint — that she may contest from Varanasi. It energised a demoralised Congress cadre, lying dormant for decades in the state. But only temporarily. Within days came a less-than-upfront denial that she had no such plans. Potentially, a Modi-Priyanka standoff was a mouth-watering contest, which would have compelled the prime minister to stay put in his constituency, without travelling too much. But the prospect of defeat is simply too much to stomach for the Gandhi family and Priyanka backed out at the last minute. Congress’s first family is obviously out of touch. Rahul, who had the opportunity of acquiring experience under the Manmohan Singh dispensation as a minister, simply let go of the opportunity — apparently he was made for better things like being prime minister, which has not come to be till now. It would have been a chance of a lifetime to work in a government and see how things function from inside the system. He does not know how a government works, while arch rival Narendra Modi does, having served three terms as Gujarat chief minister. Likewise, Priyanka backed out from a straight fight against the PM in Varanasi. In the worst case scenario, she would have lost, but the mileage gained would have been worth its weight in gold. For the Gandhi family, no public offices are now given — they will have to fight for it tooth and nail. Rahul’s rise in the party organisation has been steady. In a reshuffle, he was appointed general secretary of the All India Congress Committee in September 2007. In 2013, he was elevated to the position of party vice-president. But tragically, Congress under his leadership slumped to its lowest-ever tally of 43 Lok Sabha seats. In 2019, it is only an incremental improvement. Rahul’s tally of fancy party designations has led to a corresponding decline in the fortunes of his party. (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.)

Lok Sabha election result 2019: Gandhi family’s hold takes Congress down the drain

Counting for 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar concluded on May 23 with the BJP-led NDA winning 39 out of 40 seats at stake in the stake. It was a disastrous show from Congress and its allies RJD, RLSP, HAM and VIP as they managed to win just one seat. Watch this video to know more.

India Votes: Did Congress misread the polls?

Narendra Modi-led BJP is back with thumping majority whereas Congress suffered a humiliating defeat with most of its strategies turning out to be electorally disastrous.

Although I insist, it was hard to ignore Congress president Rahul Gandhi this election who tried hard to revamp his own image and the organisational structure of the grand old party. The Gandhi scion appeared&nbsp;confident and mature&nbsp;on the campaign trail.

In fact, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, the party also swept 2019 Assembly elections with victory in three Hindi heartland states.&nbsp;

Despite the hard work, Congress failed to stay in sync with the other opposition parties and take on the BJP in an effective manner. Priyanka Gandhi and NYAY scheme came in little too late. Moreover, Rafael jet deal allegations and 'Chowkidar Chor Hai campaign' also backfired for the party.&nbsp;

Let's analyse what all&nbsp;went wrong for the party.

Soft-Hindutva Push&nbsp;and Hasty Campaigns

Rahul and Priyanka were seen visiting various temples in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections. Congress, which accuses BJP of being a pro-Hindu party and positions itself as minority leaning party, was attacked by political pundits for deviating from its secular ideas.&nbsp;

Congress's 'soft-Hindutva' card pitted against BJP's 'Hindutva' push did not go well with people. It was seen as a move to win Hindu votes.

Moreover, the 'Chowkidar Chor Hai Campaign' of the grand old party (targetting Narendra Modi as a corrupt leader) was countered with 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' campaign of BJP.&nbsp;

The campaign boomeranged and the Supreme Court asked Gandhi scion to apologise for attributing the slogan 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' to the Supreme Court.&nbsp;

Furthermore, while playing the Rafale blame game, Congress could not provide any reliable evidence for corruption against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As a final push to bring the focus back on economic crisis and jobs, Congress, belatedly, introduced the NYAY scheme towards the end of campaign. However, the scheme&nbsp;failed to leave any impact on electorates.

 
Priyanka's Entry: Too Little, Too Late

Post-2014 defeat, political pundits and well-wishers of Congress party considered Priyanka Gandhi a&nbsp;'Brahmastra', someone who could revive the party. &nbsp;She had campaigned for Congress earlier but made an official entry into politics this election.

Priyanka proved to be a crowd puller in Uttar Pradesh and won hearts but her entry came too late to create a strong vote bank. Also, Priyanka and Rahul messed up by creating speculations about her possible candidature from Varanasi against PM Modi.

The fiasco reflected lack of seriousness and sent out a signal that Priyanka wasn't ready to take on Modi. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Failure in Forging Alliances

In Uttar Pradesh, which sends maximum seat- 80- &nbsp;to Lok Sabha, SP President Akhilesh Yadav and BSP Supremo Mayawati refused to tie-up with Congress following differences over seat-sharing ratio. Consequently, it ended up as a three-way battle of ballots in the state and Congress performed poorly.

In Delhi too, Congress failed to stitch an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party, and hence, giving an edge to BJP. They could have stopped the splitting of votes by jointly taking on the Saffron party. According to political observers, the alliance had the potential to defeat BJP.

On the national level too, Mamata Banerjee didn't approve&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi as the PM face of 'Mahagathbandhan'. Both of them reportedly wanted to be in the driver's seat. Sharad Pawar and Chandrababu Naidu requested Mamata and Congress leadership to reach an electoral understanding keeping aside their differences but all efforts went in vain.

Congress knew that in terms of leadership and share of seats, regional parties held the key yet it refused to compromise on its national party image, giving a major dent to the prospects of 'Mahagathbandhan'.&nbsp;

Some Congress leaders insist&nbsp;that the party had decided to go alone in the Lok Sabha elections for its long-term revival. However, Congress's reluctance to become a minority partner to regional parties made it easier for the BJP to sweep the elections. 
 
The question that arises now is - what next for Rahul Gandhi and Congress?&nbsp;Rahul is unlikely to face a leadership challenge immediately, but Congress`s continued slide has raised questions about its future. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Narendra Modi-led BJP is back with thumping majority whereas Congress suffered a humiliating defeat with most of its strategies turning out to be electorally disastrous.

Narendra Modi-led BJP is back with thumping majority whereas Congress suffered a humiliating defeat with most of its strategies turning out to be electorally disastrous. Although I insist, it was hard to ignore Congress president Rahul Gandhi this election who tried hard to revamp his own image and the organisational structure of the grand old party. The Gandhi scion appeared confident and mature on the campaign trail. In fact, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, the party also swept 2019 Assembly elections with victory in three Hindi heartland states. Despite the hard work, Congress failed to stay in sync with the other opposition parties and take on the BJP in an effective manner. Priyanka Gandhi and NYAY scheme came in little too late. Moreover, Rafael jet deal allegations and 'Chowkidar Chor Hai campaign' also backfired for the party. Let's analyse what all went wrong for the party. Soft-Hindutva Push and Hasty Campaigns Rahul and Priyanka were seen visiting various temples in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections. Congress, which accuses BJP of being a pro-Hindu party and positions itself as minority leaning party, was attacked by political pundits for deviating from its secular ideas. Congress's 'soft-Hindutva' card pitted against BJP's 'Hindutva' push did not go well with people. It was seen as a move to win Hindu votes. Moreover, the 'Chowkidar Chor Hai Campaign' of the grand old party (targetting Narendra Modi as a corrupt leader) was countered with 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' campaign of BJP. The campaign boomeranged and the Supreme Court asked Gandhi scion to apologise for attributing the slogan 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' to the Supreme Court. Furthermore, while playing the Rafale blame game, Congress could not provide any reliable evidence for corruption against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As a final push to bring the focus back on economic crisis and jobs, Congress, belatedly, introduced the NYAY scheme towards the end of campaign. However, the scheme failed to leave any impact on electorates. Priyanka's Entry: Too Little, Too Late Post-2014 defeat, political pundits and well-wishers of Congress party considered Priyanka Gandhi a 'Brahmastra', someone who could revive the party. She had campaigned for Congress earlier but made an official entry into politics this election. Priyanka proved to be a crowd puller in Uttar Pradesh and won hearts but her entry came too late to create a strong vote bank. Also, Priyanka and Rahul messed up by creating speculations about her possible candidature from Varanasi against PM Modi. The fiasco reflected lack of seriousness and sent out a signal that Priyanka wasn't ready to take on Modi. Failure in Forging Alliances In Uttar Pradesh, which sends maximum seat- 80- to Lok Sabha, SP President Akhilesh Yadav and BSP Supremo Mayawati refused to tie-up with Congress following differences over seat-sharing ratio. Consequently, it ended up as a three-way battle of ballots in the state and Congress performed poorly. In Delhi too, Congress failed to stitch an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party, and hence, giving an edge to BJP. They could have stopped the splitting of votes by jointly taking on the Saffron party. According to political observers, the alliance had the potential to defeat BJP. On the national level too, Mamata Banerjee didn't approve Rahul Gandhi as the PM face of 'Mahagathbandhan'. Both of them reportedly wanted to be in the driver's seat. Sharad Pawar and Chandrababu Naidu requested Mamata and Congress leadership to reach an electoral understanding keeping aside their differences but all efforts went in vain. Congress knew that in terms of leadership and share of seats, regional parties held the key yet it refused to compromise on its national party image, giving a major dent to the prospects of 'Mahagathbandhan'. Some Congress leaders insist that the party had decided to go alone in the Lok Sabha elections for its long-term revival. However, Congress's reluctance to become a minority partner to regional parties made it easier for the BJP to sweep the elections. The question that arises now is - what next for Rahul Gandhi and Congress? Rahul is unlikely to face a leadership challenge immediately, but Congress`s continued slide has raised questions about its future. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Lok Sabha election result 2019: Congress has nobody other than itself to blame for the debacle

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan congratulated the BJP for its victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and thanked the people who voted for his party - the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) - in the Assembly elections.

Speaking to reporters at his party office here, Haasan said that their party was like a 15-month-old baby and appreciated how people voted for MNM's brand of honest politics. However, Haasan's party did not win any seats in the 22 Assembly bypolls in Tamil Nadu or the 39 parliamentary seats across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Responding to questions on the massive victory of the BJP, Haasan said, "Its people's verdict, but not that of the people of Tamil Nadu - in reference to the BJP-led NDA winning only a single seat of the 38 seats in the state. It is their responsibility to ensure that they would work for the welfare of Tamil Nadu, and consider the state on equal footing with the ones that they have won."

Clarifying his party's stance on certain projects of the central government that faced opposition in Tamil Nadu, he said, "We are not against development, but we don't want such projects on fertile agricultural lands."

While Haasan's party drew a blank in the polls, they made a statement by exceeding one lakh votes in few constituencies and by coming third in few others. He said, "We have done well given that we are a new party and did not establish ourselves after splitting from any other political outfit. The main obstacles for our party was widespread poverty and money distribution in the rural pockets."

In some areas we secured 12 per cent vote share and our average vote share is nearly five per cent, Haasan added.

Expressing happiness over his party's decision to go alone without any alliance with major parties, Haasan said that analysts and advisors have foreseen a bright future for the fledgling party.

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan congratulated the BJP for its victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and thanked the people who voted for his party - the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) - in the Assembly elections.

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan congratulated the BJP for its victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and thanked the people who voted for his party - the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) - in the Assembly elections. Speaking to reporters at his party office here, Haasan said that their party was like a 15-month-old baby and appreciated how people voted for MNM's brand of honest politics. However, Haasan's party did not win any seats in the 22 Assembly bypolls in Tamil Nadu or the 39 parliamentary seats across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Responding to questions on the massive victory of the BJP, Haasan said, "Its people's verdict, but not that of the people of Tamil Nadu - in reference to the BJP-led NDA winning only a single seat of the 38 seats in the state. It is their responsibility to ensure that they would work for the welfare of Tamil Nadu, and consider the state on equal footing with the ones that they have won." Clarifying his party's stance on certain projects of the central government that faced opposition in Tamil Nadu, he said, "We are not against development, but we don't want such projects on fertile agricultural lands." While Haasan's party drew a blank in the polls, they made a statement by exceeding one lakh votes in few constituencies and by coming third in few others. He said, "We have done well given that we are a new party and did not establish ourselves after splitting from any other political outfit. The main obstacles for our party was widespread poverty and money distribution in the rural pockets." In some areas we secured 12 per cent vote share and our average vote share is nearly five per cent, Haasan added. Expressing happiness over his party's decision to go alone without any alliance with major parties, Haasan said that analysts and advisors have foreseen a bright future for the fledgling party.

Kamal Hassan congratulates BJP for Lok Sabha election win, urges them to work for Tamil Nadu

TRS Lok Sabha candidates were leading in nine segments and BJP in four in Telangana after three hours of counting Thursday.

The Congress was leading in three seats.

AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi was ahead in Hyderabad seat, where he is seeking reelection for the fourth successive time, according to Election Commission sources.

Initial trends suggested gains for the BJP.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">Get LIVE updates here.</a>

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the TRS had bagged 11 seats and the Congress two, while the BJP, YSRCP, TDP and AIMIM shared one each.

TRS supremo and Telangana Chief Minister's daughter K Kavitha was trailing in Nizamabad by 13,581votes to BJP's D Arvind who was leading.

BJP candidates were leading in Adilabad, Karimnagar and Secunderabad also.

Congress nominees were leading in Malajgiri, Nalgonda, Chevella.

Watch:&nbsp;BJP+ well on course to sweep the polls

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Telangana Congress working president Revanth Reddy was leading in Malkajgiri by 19,220 as per the latest trends available.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy has&nbsp;established a lead of 12,221 votes in Nalgonda.

Chevella sitting MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy was leading by 4,555 votes over his nearest TRS rival Ranjith Reddy.

BJP candidate B Sanjay was leading by 47,228 votes against his nearest rival and sitting TRS MP B Vinod Kumar in Karimnagar after the second round.

Soyam Bapurao of BJP was leading by 32,354 votes after the first round over his TRS rival Godam Nagesh in Adilabad, official sources said.

Owaisi was leading in Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat by nearly 60,000 votes over his BJP rival Bhagavanth Rao.

Former Union Minister Renuka Chowdary was trailing by 54,045 votes in Khammam segment, where TRS nominee N Nageswara Rao was leading.

Polls were held for 17 Lok Sabha seats on April 11.

Counting of votes began at 8 AM Thursday.

TRS Lok Sabha candidates were leading in nine segments and BJP in four in Telangana after three hours of counting Thursday. The Congress was leading in three seats.

TRS Lok Sabha candidates were leading in nine segments and BJP in four in Telangana after three hours of counting Thursday. The Congress was leading in three seats. AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi was ahead in Hyderabad seat, where he is seeking reelection for the fourth successive time, according to Election Commission sources. Initial trends suggested gains for the BJP. Get LIVE updates here. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the TRS had bagged 11 seats and the Congress two, while the BJP, YSRCP, TDP and AIMIM shared one each. TRS supremo and Telangana Chief Minister's daughter K Kavitha was trailing in Nizamabad by 13,581votes to BJP's D Arvind who was leading. BJP candidates were leading in Adilabad, Karimnagar and Secunderabad also. Congress nominees were leading in Malajgiri, Nalgonda, Chevella. Watch: BJP+ well on course to sweep the polls Telangana Congress working president Revanth Reddy was leading in Malkajgiri by 19,220 as per the latest trends available. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy has established a lead of 12,221 votes in Nalgonda. Chevella sitting MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy was leading by 4,555 votes over his nearest TRS rival Ranjith Reddy. BJP candidate B Sanjay was leading by 47,228 votes against his nearest rival and sitting TRS MP B Vinod Kumar in Karimnagar after the second round. Soyam Bapurao of BJP was leading by 32,354 votes after the first round over his TRS rival Godam Nagesh in Adilabad, official sources said. Owaisi was leading in Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat by nearly 60,000 votes over his BJP rival Bhagavanth Rao. Former Union Minister Renuka Chowdary was trailing by 54,045 votes in Khammam segment, where TRS nominee N Nageswara Rao was leading. Polls were held for 17 Lok Sabha seats on April 11. Counting of votes began at 8 AM Thursday.

Lok Sabha election result 2019: TRS leading in nine seats, BJP in four in Telangana

The BJP appeared set for a resounding comeback on Thursday with leads in 328 seats while the Congress trailed far behind with 101, according to trends available with the Election Commission for 495 of 542 Lok Sabha seats.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-results-2019-live-updates-220687">Click here for LIVE Updates</a>

As votes for the seven-phase parliamentary polls were counted on Thursday, the DMK was ahead in 20 seats, the Janata Dal-United in 15, the Trinamool Congress in 20 and the Bahujan Samaj Party in 12 and its ally Samajwadi Party in eight seats, according to the poll panel.

Television channels showed the BJP surging ahead with leads in more than 320 seats.

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As the trends came in, pointing to another tenure of Narendra Modi as prime minister, there were reports of celebrations in the BJP's party offices across the country.

The trends of the ruling party's leads were in sync with the exit polls, most of which predicted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would be on course to retain power for a second term.

In 2014, the BJP won 282 seats, leaving the Congress with an all-time low of 44 seats against the 206 it won in 2009.

The counting exercise is on in over 4,000 counting centres amid concerns raised by opposition parties over alleged tampering of EVMs. They have asked the Election Commission to ensure transparency in counting. Election Commission officials said results are expected only by late evening.&nbsp;

The voting was staggered between April 11 and May 19 in which around 67 per cent of the nearly 900 million eligible people exercised their franchise to elect 542 members of the Lok Sabha from a total of 8,049 contestants.&nbsp;

For the first time in Lok Sabha polls, the EC is tallying the vote count on Electronic Voting Machines with voter-verified paper audit trail slips in five polling stations in each assembly segment of a parliamentary constituency.&nbsp;

It will effectively mean that out of nearly 10.3 lakh polling stations, the EVM-VVPAT matching will take place in 20,600 such stations. In case of a mismatch, the results based on paper slip count will be considered as final.&nbsp;

Out of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, elections were held in 542 constituencies as the EC had cancelled polls to the Vellore constituency on the ground of excessive use of money power.&nbsp;

The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday alerted all state chief secretaries and directors general of police about the possibility of eruption of violence in different parts of the country during the counting of votes.

"This is in the wake of calls given and statements made in various quarters for inciting violence and causing disruption on the day of the counting of votes," a Home Ministry statement said.

The BJP appeared set for a resounding comeback on Thursday with leads in 328 seats while the Congress trailed far behind with 101, according to trends available with the Election Commission for 495 of 542 Lok Sabha seats.

The BJP appeared set for a resounding comeback on Thursday with leads in 328 seats while the Congress trailed far behind with 101, according to trends available with the Election Commission for 495 of 542 Lok Sabha seats. Click here for LIVE Updates As votes for the seven-phase parliamentary polls were counted on Thursday, the DMK was ahead in 20 seats, the Janata Dal-United in 15, the Trinamool Congress in 20 and the Bahujan Samaj Party in 12 and its ally Samajwadi Party in eight seats, according to the poll panel. Television channels showed the BJP surging ahead with leads in more than 320 seats. As the trends came in, pointing to another tenure of Narendra Modi as prime minister, there were reports of celebrations in the BJP's party offices across the country. The trends of the ruling party's leads were in sync with the exit polls, most of which predicted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would be on course to retain power for a second term. In 2014, the BJP won 282 seats, leaving the Congress with an all-time low of 44 seats against the 206 it won in 2009. The counting exercise is on in over 4,000 counting centres amid concerns raised by opposition parties over alleged tampering of EVMs. They have asked the Election Commission to ensure transparency in counting. Election Commission officials said results are expected only by late evening. The voting was staggered between April 11 and May 19 in which around 67 per cent of the nearly 900 million eligible people exercised their franchise to elect 542 members of the Lok Sabha from a total of 8,049 contestants. For the first time in Lok Sabha polls, the EC is tallying the vote count on Electronic Voting Machines with voter-verified paper audit trail slips in five polling stations in each assembly segment of a parliamentary constituency. It will effectively mean that out of nearly 10.3 lakh polling stations, the EVM-VVPAT matching will take place in 20,600 such stations. In case of a mismatch, the results based on paper slip count will be considered as final. Out of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, elections were held in 542 constituencies as the EC had cancelled polls to the Vellore constituency on the ground of excessive use of money power. The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday alerted all state chief secretaries and directors general of police about the possibility of eruption of violence in different parts of the country during the counting of votes. "This is in the wake of calls given and statements made in various quarters for inciting violence and causing disruption on the day of the counting of votes," a Home Ministry statement said.

BJP surges ahead with 328 seats in early trends, Congress trails far behind with 101

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

WION Exclusive | In conversation with Anupam Kher | Lok Sabha Election Results 2019

Proving exit polls right, the BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appeared set to retain power as its candidates alone led in 294 of the 541 Lok Sabha seats with its allies faring equally well across the country, stunning the opposition.

As per the latest trends issued by Election Commission BJP and&nbsp;JD(U) both parties are leading on 16 seats each.Ram Vilas Paswan Lok Janshakti Party is leading on 6 parliamentary seats.

Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal is ahead on two seats.

Among the 40 constituencies, Nalanda, Begusarai and Arrah comprise seven assembly segments each while the remaining 37 have six Vidhan Sabha segments.

Among the political parties, the BJP and the JD(U) have contested 17 seats each, leaving six for NDA ally LJP.

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).&nbsp;

Proving exit polls right, the BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appeared set to retain power as its candidates alone led in 294 of the 541 Lok Sabha seats with its allies faring equally well across the country, stunning the opposition.

Proving exit polls right, the BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appeared set to retain power as its candidates alone led in 294 of the 541 Lok Sabha seats with its allies faring equally well across the country, stunning the opposition. As per the latest trends issued by Election Commission BJP and JD(U) both parties are leading on 16 seats each.Ram Vilas Paswan Lok Janshakti Party is leading on 6 parliamentary seats. Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal is ahead on two seats. Among the 40 constituencies, Nalanda, Begusarai and Arrah comprise seven assembly segments each while the remaining 37 have six Vidhan Sabha segments. Among the political parties, the BJP and the JD(U) have contested 17 seats each, leaving six for NDA ally LJP. 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).

NDA leads on 38 out of 40 seats in Bihar as Modi guns for second term

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 appeared set for a resounding comeback</a> on Thursday with leads in 328 seats while the Congress trailed far behind with 101, as the counting of the votes polled in India's 17 Lok Sabha election was underway.

The elections were also closely followed by foreign media as the trends came in, pointing to another tenure of Narendra Modi as prime minister.

While reporting on BJP heading for an outright majority, The New York Times called PM Modi "one of the most powerful leaders" India has produced. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"The win would be a far more dominating performance than many analysts had thought possible a few months ago," The New York Times said.

"Modi is viewed as good for business. He has simplified the tax system and cut down on corruption, and one of the signature achievements of his term was an overhaul of the country’s corporate bankruptcy system," it added.

"PM Modi led National Democratic Alliance's predicted margin of victory is much larger than surveys indicated in the run-up to the vote, when most polls showed it would be the largest alliance but would fall short of an overall majority," news agency Reuters said in its report.

"Although the BJP looks set to lose some seats in Uttar Pradesh, where two rival opposition parties have united to defeat it,&nbsp;Modi’s party looks likely to able to compensate for those losses, by making strong inroads into the states of West Bengal and Odisha, where it previously had limited support,"&nbsp;Financial Times stated in its report.

The counting exercise is on in over 4,000 counting centres amid concerns raised by opposition parties over alleged tampering of EVMs. They have asked the Election Commission to ensure transparency in counting. Final result declaration is expected only by late evening.&nbsp;

The initial trends by the Election Commission of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/election-results-to-be-in-consonance-with-exit-polls-outcome-arun-jaitley-220128">ruling party's leads were in sync with the exit polls</a>, most of which predicted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would be on course to retain power for a second term.

In 2014, the BJP won 282 seats, leaving the Congress with an all-time low of 44 seats against the 206 it won in 2009.

Watch:&nbsp;Impact of early election trends on the Indian markets

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The BJP appeared set for a resounding comeback on Thursday with leads in 328 seats while the Congress trailed far behind with 101, as the counting of the votes polled in India's 17 Lok Sabha election was underway.

The BJP appeared set for a resounding comeback on Thursday with leads in 328 seats while the Congress trailed far behind with 101, as the counting of the votes polled in India's 17 Lok Sabha election was underway. The elections were also closely followed by foreign media as the trends came in, pointing to another tenure of Narendra Modi as prime minister. While reporting on BJP heading for an outright majority, The New York Times called PM Modi "one of the most powerful leaders" India has produced. "The win would be a far more dominating performance than many analysts had thought possible a few months ago," The New York Times said. "Modi is viewed as good for business. He has simplified the tax system and cut down on corruption, and one of the signature achievements of his term was an overhaul of the country’s corporate bankruptcy system," it added. "PM Modi led National Democratic Alliance's predicted margin of victory is much larger than surveys indicated in the run-up to the vote, when most polls showed it would be the largest alliance but would fall short of an overall majority," news agency Reuters said in its report. "Although the BJP looks set to lose some seats in Uttar Pradesh, where two rival opposition parties have united to defeat it, Modi’s party looks likely to able to compensate for those losses, by making strong inroads into the states of West Bengal and Odisha, where it previously had limited support," Financial Times stated in its report. The counting exercise is on in over 4,000 counting centres amid concerns raised by opposition parties over alleged tampering of EVMs. They have asked the Election Commission to ensure transparency in counting. Final result declaration is expected only by late evening. The initial trends by the Election Commission of the ruling party's leads were in sync with the exit polls, most of which predicted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would be on course to retain power for a second term. In 2014, the BJP won 282 seats, leaving the Congress with an all-time low of 44 seats against the 206 it won in 2009. Watch: Impact of early election trends on the Indian markets ×

Lok Sabha election result 2019: Foreign media reacts to vote count as results point to a big victory for PM Modi

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

WION Exclusive | In conversation with Aman Sinha | Lok Sabha Election Results 2019

Early election trends show NDA leading in majority of the seats.

Lok Sabha 2019: Trends show Congress heavyweights trailing

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

WION Exclusive | In conversation with Tom Vadakkan | Lok Sabha Election Results 2019

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

WION Exclusive | In conversation with Sudesh Verma | Lok Sabha Election Results 2019 | Counting Day

Get set, count! EC has begun with the process that would ultimately decide which party and alliance could form the next government in the country. BJP repeats 2014 stellar performance; Sweeps away all parties in nation

Lok Sabha Election 2019: BJP repeats 2014 stellar performance; Sweeps away all parties in nation

As counting of the ballot for 542 Lok Sabha seats for the world's largest democracy is underway, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on his way to be the first non-Congress prime minister to return to power.

Riding on a massive Modi wave sweeping through most parts of India, the BJP was set to return to power Thursday as it led in 292 seats while the Congress trailed far behind with 51, according to trends released by the Election Commission for all 542 seats that went to polls.

If the trends stay until final results, the BJP would have improved on its 2014 performance when it had won 282 seats on its own in the 543-member Lok Sabha. Adding the seats won by its allies, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance could win 343 seats, up from 336 in 2014.&nbsp;

As per the latest trends from the Election Commission of India, the BJP alone is leading on 269 seats. The Congress is ahead on 56 seats.

As counting of the ballot for 542 Lok Sabha seats for the world's largest democracy is underway, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on his way to be the first non-Congress prime minister to return to power.

As counting of the ballot for 542 Lok Sabha seats for the world's largest democracy is underway, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on his way to be the first non-Congress prime minister to return to power. Riding on a massive Modi wave sweeping through most parts of India, the BJP was set to return to power Thursday as it led in 292 seats while the Congress trailed far behind with 51, according to trends released by the Election Commission for all 542 seats that went to polls. If the trends stay until final results, the BJP would have improved on its 2014 performance when it had won 282 seats on its own in the 543-member Lok Sabha. Adding the seats won by its allies, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance could win 343 seats, up from 336 in 2014. As per the latest trends from the Election Commission of India, the BJP alone is leading on 269 seats. The Congress is ahead on 56 seats.

Narendra Modi to become first non-Congress PM to return to power 

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

WION Exclusive | In conversation with Shivraj Singh Chauhan | Lok Sabha Election Results 2019

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