642 mn Indians have decided — Modi will be PM, albeit with a strong opposition this time

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi is now ready to form the government as he gets set to embark on his third term at the helm of the world's largest democracy. 

Modi is set for a record-equaling third consecutive term after 642 million Indian votes were counted, ensuring his leadership despite a notable shift in the country's political dynamics.

Even though the  Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a majority in the Lok Sabha, the saffron party faced significant losses in key Hindi heartland states, necessitating a coalition with allies like the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal-United (JDU) to form the government.

This election marked a resurgence for the opposition, particularly the Indian National Congress party under Rahul Gandhi and the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh, signaling a stronger opposition presence.

The BJP won 240 seats, short of the 272 majority mark, and will rely on allies in the NDA to form the government. In 2019 and 2014, BJP won 303 and 282 seats respectively, securing a majority on its own.

With support from allies like N Chandrababu Naidu's TDP and Nitish Kumar's JDU, winning 16 and 12 seats respectively, the NDA crossed the halfway mark of 291 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. The TDP also won the Andhra Pradesh assembly elections.

In an address to his party workers on June 4, 73-year-old Modi pledged to work with all states to build a developed India. He aims to focus on completely rooting out corruption in his third term. 

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called the results a "victory of the people and democracy," noting it as a moral defeat for Modi, who campaigned in his own name.

The NDA did not achieve the landslide victory predicted by exit polls, which had forecast at least 350 seats for the ruling coalition.

The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress Party (TMC), another key opposition ally, won 29 seats in West Bengal, while BJP's numbers fell to 12 from 18. In Uttar Pradesh, BJP's seats dropped to 33 from 62, while the SP increased its seats to 37, benefiting from Muslim vote consolidation and dissatisfaction with the BJP government.

Modi retained his Varanasi seat but with a reduced margin. Rahul Gandhi won seats in Kerala and UP by large margins. 

Notably, the BJP's election campaign, from April 19 to June 1, saw heavy reliance on Modi and divisive issues.

The results contradicted BJP's expectations in the southern states, with no seats in Tamil Nadu and losses in Karnataka. However, the BJP did make inroads in Kerala and Telangana, winning seats for the first time.

In Andhra Pradesh, BJP ally TDP won 16 seats, with BJP bagging three seats. BJP faced upsets in the north, including losses in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana, but performed well in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Read on to know exactly how vote counting day played out. We covered every little detail LIVE as it happened.

01:42 (IST) 05 June 2024

The votes are in, done and dusted

It took 18 gruelling hours to count 642 million votes. And the results are nothing like what the exit polls predicted.

BJP-led NDA has won 291 seats, far lower than the 350+ seats forecast.

Congress-led INDIA bloc has grabbed 232 Lok Sabha seats. Exit polls had predicted about 150 for them.

So, for the next five years, you can expect some healthy debate in the lower house of the Parliament.

The Indian political landscape has changed, and no more is it a one-sided affair like before.

23:24 (IST) 04 June 2024

TMC candidates Shatrughan Sinha, Kirti Azad emerge victorious in LS polls

Actor-turned-politician and sitting MP Shatrughan Sinha won from the Asansol Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal, the ECI said. The TMC leader defeated his nearest rival S S Ahluwalia of the BJP by a margin of 59,564 votes.

Sinha secured 6,05,645 votes, while Ahluwalia garnered 5,46,081 votes.

Cricketer-turned-politician Kirti Azad defeated his nearest rival Dilip Ghosh of the BJP by 1,37,981 votes in the Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha seat.

Azad, the TMC candidate, secured 7,20,667 votes, while Ghosh, a former state BJP president, got 5,82,686 votes.

23:22 (IST) 04 June 2024

BJP Falls Short of Majority Mark by 30 Seats, NDA Set to Return to Power

After more than 14 hours of counting, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is poised to secure a third consecutive term with 292 seats. The INDIA bloc, which defied all exit polls, is now aiming for 232 seats.

While the BJP has won or is leading in 240 seats out of the total 292, it remains well below the majority mark of 272 needed to become the single largest party in Parliament. However, with support from the TDP and JD(U), the BJP-led alliance will maintain its strength and stability at the Center.

23:18 (IST) 04 June 2024

INDIA Alliance Makes Comeback in Hindi Heartland States

• The INDIA alliance has staged a comeback in several Hindi heartland states.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed gratitude to NDA allies Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu.
• Despite a shaky start, the INDIA bloc is now flying close to its target.
• The BJP's efforts in the southern states have yielded mixed results.
• Nitish Kumar stands firm in Bihar and emerges as a 'kingmaker.'
• The TDP confirms its continued support for the NDA and rules out backing the INDIA bloc.
• Mamata Banerjee promises to keep Modi out of power.
• The INDIA bloc will decide on approaching former partners on Wednesday.

23:12 (IST) 04 June 2024

Breaking News: Nitish Kumar to handover support letter to Modi

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will reach Delhi tomorrow morning to handover letter of support to PM Modi. Chandrababu Naidu is also expected to land in Delhi by afternoon to handover letter of support.

Chandrababu Naidu has officially declared support to PM Modi for Government formation.

23:06 (IST) 04 June 2024

LS results in Bengal not up to expectations, but our vote share increased: BJP

The BJP described results of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal as not up to expectation but said the voting percentage of the party has increased.

BJP state spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya also said that the party is happy that three TMC candidates, who had been elected on BJP tickets in the last assembly polls and changed camps without resigning, have been rejected by people.

Of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the BJP won 10 and was leading in two others till 10.45 pm. The ruling TMC, on the other hand, bagged 28 seats and was leading in one.

23:04 (IST) 04 June 2024

Son of Indira Gandhi's assassin wins LS polls as Independent candidate

Radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh and Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, the son of one of the assassins of Indira Gandhi, have made their maiden entry to Parliament.

Singh won the Khadoor Sahib by a margin of 1,97,120 votes over his nearest rival and Congress candidate Kulbuir Singh Zira while Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa won in Faridkot by 70,053 over AAP's Karamjit Singh Anmol.

Both Singh and Khalsa contested the polls as Independents.

23:01 (IST) 04 June 2024

No opening of BJP in Tamil Nadu?

According to Election Commission data, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhjsonagam and its allies seem set to win all 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu. By Tuesday evening, neither the AIADMK nor the BJP were leading in any constituency.

DMK stalwarts such as Kanimozhi, A Raja, T R Baalu, and Dayanidhi Maran, along with prominent Dalit leader and VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, and senior Congress leader S Jothimani were all poised for victory.

The BJP state president and dynamic leader Annamalai, who was considered one of the party's top candidates in the state, was behind by more than 100,000 votes to the DMK's Ganapathy Rajkumar in Coimbatore.

22:55 (IST) 04 June 2024

Lok Sabha election 2024 live updates: BJP gets 221 

22:24 (IST) 04 June 2024

Ex-Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel loses from Rajnandgaon LS seat to BJP

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister and Congress candidate Bhupesh Baghel suffered a defeat from sitting BJP MP Santosh Pandey in the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 44,411 votes.

Pandey secured 7,12,057 votes while Baghel got 6,67,646 votes. Baghel served as the chief minister of Chhattisgarh from 2018 to 2023.

22:21 (IST) 04 June 2024

Prajwal Revanna loses, JD(S) loses family stronghold for the first time in 20 years

For the first time in 20 years, the JD(S) lost in its stronghold of Hassan. Prajwal Revanna, the sitting MP who is currently under arrest for cases of sexual assault, was defeated by Congress candidate Shreyas M Patil by 43,738 votes.

Prajwal, the grandson of former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda and the son of former PWD Minister and Holenarasipura MLA H. D. Revanna, was arrested on May 31. He is currently in the custody of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) until June 6.

He left the country on April 27, the day after Hassan voted. Two days before the election, hundreds of pen drives were distributed in Hassan, each containing over 2,900 sex videos allegedly recorded by the MP.

22:15 (IST) 04 June 2024

Election Results 2024 Live: Latest poll trends  

• Bharatiya Janata Party - 203 (Won) 37 (Leading)
• Indian National Congress -  79 (Won) 20 (Leading)
• Samajwadi Party - 32 (Won) 5 (Leading)
• All India Trinamool Congress - 22 (Won) 7 (Leading)
• Janata Dal (United) - 11 (Won) 1 (Leading)
• Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam -  8 (Won) 14 (Leading)
• Telugu Desam - 7 (Won) 9 (Leading)
• Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackrey) -  6 (Won) 3 (Leading)

21:34 (IST) 04 June 2024

Hate politics, false promises led to decline in BJP's performance in LS polls: Owaisi

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said the BJP's performance below its expectations in the Lok Sabha polls was the outcome of the saffron party's hate politics during the last 10 years and the false promises it allegedly made to the people.

Owaisi, who won the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency for a fifth consecutive term, said he will extend support, if necessary, in the event of Narendra Modi not becoming the prime minister for the third term.

"We have publicly taken a stand that we will stop BJP," he told reporters here.

He claimed that the people were fed up with the BJP's politics of hatred and the youth were disappointed with unemployment in the country and that the farmers were also upset. Those who love the Constitution felt that Modi's call for '400 paar' (more than 400 LS seats) was brought forward to "finish" the Constitution, he maintained.

"The verdict has come, and if Modi ji forms the government now, then he has to come to the Parliament with the support of allies. It will be a good scene to watch," he said and added that Modi should introspect on the results.

21:08 (IST) 04 June 2024

Setback for former CMs Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti as both lose LS polls

The defeat in Lok Sabha polls has come as a setback for the political careers of former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti in view of their vows not to contest the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir till it remains a Union Territory.

While Abdullah was defeated by former MLA and terror-funding accused Sheikh Abdul Rashid by a margin of nearly two lakh votes in Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, Mufti was trounced by Gujjar leader and National Conference (NC) candidate Mian Altaf Ahmad by nearly three lakh votes in Anatnag-Rajouri seat.

"I have made it abundantly clear that in the current situation that J-K finds itself in, I am not contesting the assembly elections," the 54-year-old Abdullah told PTI in an interview in April this year, adding that he had been saying this since 2020 and his position had not changed.

"I am never going to participate in assembly election as long as Article 370 is not restored. Whenever I took oath as a member assembly, it was under two Constitutions – J&K Constitution and the Constitution of India - with two flags at the same time. Maybe it is foolish on my part but it is more of an emotional issue for me," Mufti said in an interview with PTI last year.

21:03 (IST) 04 June 2024

BJP committed to fulfill promises in Odisha: Himanta 

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma affirmed the BJP’s commitment to fulfil its promises to the people of Odisha as the party was on its way to form the government in that state. 

Sarma had extensively campaigned in Odisha. 

"History created in Odisha! A heartfelt thanks to the people of Odisha for this historic mandate and for placing their absolute faith in the BJP to serve them both in the state and in Parliament,” Sarma posted on X.

20:57 (IST) 04 June 2024

PM Modi declares mandate as a victory for the world's largest democracy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed party workers at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi following the NDA's win in the Lok Sabha polls.

"On this day, an NDA government is set to be formed for the third consecutive time. The people of the country have shown their full support to the BJP and the NDA. This victory is a triumph for the world's largest democracy," he stated.

20:44 (IST) 04 June 2024

Kerala mein kamal khila hai: JP Nadda

Lauding the party’s performance in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, the BJP president said: “In Andhra Pradesh, with our alliance partner, we are forming a government. In Kerala, the BJP has opened its account... jahan hum door door tak nahi dikhte the, uss Kerala mein kamal khila hain.”

20:40 (IST) 04 June 2024

BJP sweeps LS polls in Himachal, wins all four seats

The BJP has registered a clean sweep in Himachal Pradesh, winning all four Lok Sabha seats.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur won for the fifth time in a row from the Hamirpur Lok sabha seat, actor Kangana Ranaut and Rajiv Bharadwaj made their maiden debut from Mandi and Kangra seats while former BJP state president Suresh Kashyap retained his Shimla seat.

The Congress not only failed to retain the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, which was wrested by state Congress chief Pratibha in the by-election in 2021 but its dream to recapture the stronghold of Shimla (SC) seat was also shattered as the BJP won the seat for the fourth time in a row.

However, the margin of victory, which was 4,77,623 in Kangra, 4.05,559 in Mandi, 3,99,572 in Hamirpur and 3,27,515 in Shimla (SC) in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, shrunk to 2,51,895 in Kangra, 74,755 in Mandi, 1,82,357 in Hamirpur and 9,05,48 in Shimla, respectively.

20:20 (IST) 04 June 2024

Modi talk in moments

Modi arrives at BJP headquarters. Set to speak soon.

20:09 (IST) 04 June 2024

Modi’s “400 Paar” looks like a far-fetched story

Till now as per the data from the Election Commission Modi’s “400 paar” is very far to get.

19:49 (IST) 04 June 2024

'Historical feat in India’s history’: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the people of India have “placed their faith” in the BJP-led NDA alliance “for a third consecutive time”. This is a historical feat in India’s history,” he posted on X, moments before he is expected to address his party workers and the media. He thanked his party workers for their "affection" and promised to continue the "good work done in the last decade." 
“Words will never do justice to their exceptional efforts.”

19:44 (IST) 04 June 2024

Now, Kangana Ranaut has won; let the celebrations begin 

The Bollywood actor, a debutant candidate fielded by the BJP, has won convincingly from her hometown Mandi, beating Vikramaditya Singh with a massive margin of 74,755 votes.

18:40 (IST) 04 June 2024

Mamata Banerjee: Modi broke parties, INDIA broke him

“I will try to ensure that Modi is out of power and INDIA bloc is in. PM Modi broke many parties, people broke his morale. India has won, Modi has lost. I thank people of West Bengal for the mandate. PM Narendra Modi should immediately resign as he has lost credibility.”

18:12 (IST) 04 June 2024

Congress party presser: ‘Results are slap in Modi's face’

Rahul Gandhi: 

“These elections were not about contesting against a party, but fighting against all the tough challenges that came across us like ED, CBI and the media. They tried their best to stop us – got us jailed, froze our bank accounts, and tried to break the party. We believe in the citizens of this country. You all have taken the first step to save the democracy. 

We respect the partners of the INDI Alliance, who fought in collaboration peacefully. This is the best performance of the Alliance.

The people can directly relate the stocks of (Gautam) Adani to Modi Ji, and the results are proof that people directly said we don't want Narendra Modi and Amit Shah to run this country. I'm extremely proud of citizens of this country. The poorest people, adivasi, farmers, and Dalits have saved this democracy. I want to thank all of them. The Congress party is with you and we'll fulfil all the promises we made.”

When asked whether there was any chance of the INDIA bloc forming the government, Rahul Gandhi said, “We'll be having the meeting of the Alliance tomorrow, we'll decide with all the partners. I've won from both the seats as the public wants me to serve.”

Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress President: 

“These results are result of the people of India and it's their win for democracy. We respect their choice. This mandate is against Narendra Modi, the man. This is his defeat as he was the face of the BJP. They were banking on his name for votes. It's a big loss for them.

All the government agencies like ED and CBI tried their best to stop our campaign, but we are standing here with a successful comeback story today. This will be remembered for a long time. 

17:19 (IST) 04 June 2024

BJP wins seven seats in Karnataka, leads in ten

Former Karnataka Chief Ministers Basavaraj Bommai and H D Kumaraswamy, and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani were among those who won the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi won from Dharwad segment.

According to the data available from the Election Commission so far, BJP won seven seats and is leading in 10 other segments in the State, which has a total of 28 constituencies.

The ruling Congress in Karnataka has won in one seat and is leading in eight, while JD(S), which fought the polls in alliance with the BJP, won two seats.

Kumaraswamy won the Mandya seat by a margin of 2,84,620 votes, defeating Venkataramane Gowda (popularly known as Star Chandru) of the Congress.

17:16 (IST) 04 June 2024

PM Modi will address media at 7 pm

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the media at 7 pm today. Despite the BJP falling short of a majority on its own, the NDA is poised to return to power, securing at least 290 seats.

17:12 (IST) 04 June 2024

Shivraj Singh Chouhan wins from Vidisha constituency

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan won the Vidisha Lok Sabha seat. The BJP has also won the Indore seat in MP.

17:06 (IST) 04 June 2024

Shashi Tharoor wins from Thiruvananthapuram seat

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor secured a win in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency, prevailing over NDA candidate and Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

Initially, Chandrasekhar surged ahead with a lead of 23,000 votes. However, as officials began counting votes from coastal areas, the tide turned in Tharoor's favor. This victory mirrors Tharoor's 2014 triumph in the Lok Sabha elections when he overcame an early setback against BJP stalwart O. Rajagopal, ultimately emerging victorious.

16:39 (IST) 04 June 2024

Rahul Gandhi to address presser at 5.30 pm

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be addressing a press conference at 5.30 pm today. The Congress leader has won the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat by a margin of over 4 lakh votes and is also leading in Wayanad.

16:34 (IST) 04 June 2024

Don't believe premature celebrations; contest still very much on

The results have now started trickling in much faster as the day ends. Here’s the screenshot of the Election Commission of India website, which details exactly who has won till now and from where. 

Don’t get swayed by news of Anupam Kher congratulating Kangana Ranaut on her victory from Mandi (HP) seat. It’s not true. She is in the lead but has not won yet. 

For accurate information go to the Election Commission of India official Website. 

16:19 (IST) 04 June 2024

PM should resign, says former Rajasthan CM Gehlot

With NDA on the verge of falling well short of their 400-seat target, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has taken a jab at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he should resign if his alliance fails to secure a clear majority.

"Now it has become clear that neither BJP will get 370 seats nor NDA will get 400 seats. BJP is not even able to get a clear majority in the name of Prime Minister Modi. In such a situation, Shri Narendra Modi should now withdraw his claim and name from the post of Prime Minister," he added.

16:17 (IST) 04 June 2024

Jitan Ram Manjhi's win from Gaya

Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular)'s Jitan Ram Manjhi won from Gaya constituency with a margin of 101,812 votes, defeating RJD's Kumar Sarvjeet. Manjhi got a total of 4,94,960 votes.

16:14 (IST) 04 June 2024

BJP's Shankar Lalwani wins from Indore

He won with a margin of 10,08,077 votes and got a total of 12,26,751 votes.

15:58 (IST) 04 June 2024

AAP’s Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer wins from Sangrur

Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer won with the total votes of 364085 and a margin of 172560 votes. 

15:52 (IST) 04 June 2024

Another win for Congress in Punjab

Congress candidate Amar Singh won the Fatehgarh Lok Sabha seat in the election with total votes of 3,32,591. He won with a margin of 34,202 votes. His nearest candidate was Gurpreet Singh GP, who got 2,98,389 votes.

15:42 (IST) 04 June 2024

BJP surges ahead in Himachal Pradesh

The BJP is way ahead of the Congress on all four Lok Sabha seats of Himachal Pradesh.

BJP candidate from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut is leading by a margin of 72,696 votes over her Congress rival Vikramaditya Singh while Union minister Anurag Thakur, seeking a fifth term from the Hamirpur seat, is ahead by a margin of 1,77,999 votes over Congress' Satpal Raizada.

Former state BJP president and sitting party MP from Shimla Suresh Kashyap is leading by 90,548 votes and BJP Kangra nominee Rajiv Bhardwaj by 2,47,343 votes.

15:26 (IST) 04 June 2024

INDIA alliance meeting likely in Delhi tomorrow, says Sharad Pawar.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on June 4 said an INDI alliance meeting will likely be held in Delhi tomorrow. “The public has taught a lesson to BJP in this election,” he said. He also said, "Have not spoken to Chandrababu Naidu or Nitish Kumar today." 

He mentioned that BJP victory margins in Uttar Pradesh are very narrow.

15:21 (IST) 04 June 2024

BJP-led NDA continues with the lead of 293 seats, Congress-led INDIA leads with 231

15:15 (IST) 04 June 2024

This tally will increase and we will cross 300: BJP MP candidate

BJP MP and party's candidate from North East Delhi, Manoj Tiwari says, "I would like to thank PM Modi, top leadership and the people of the constituency. They all have blessed me well. We are winning all the seven seats of Delhi. We are forming the govt in the country as well. Certainly, it's not something that we have expected but this tally will increase and we will cross 300. NDA is united and will move forward together in the service of the people of the country."

15:04 (IST) 04 June 2024

INDIA bloc leading in 44 seats, BJP-led NDA in 35

The INDIA bloc is leading in 44 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh and the BJP-led NDA in 35.

INDIA bloc parties SP and Congress are leading in 37 and 7 seats, the election panel's data for polls to the 80 parliamentary constituencies in the state showed.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in 33 seats and its allies Rashtriya Lok Dal and Apna Dal in one seat each.

Chandrashekhar of Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) is leading by 1,09,799 votes over BJP's Om Kumar.

14:55 (IST) 04 June 2024

TMC's potential alliance with Congress raises questions for Modi

Mamata Banerjee, leading her party in West Bengal, has piqued curiosity. If the Trinamool Congress (TMC) aligns with the Congress, it could significantly impact the political landscape.

After Modi leveraged the Sandeshkhali incident to win the Bengal election (where the MP was from TMC), Mamata's national image took a hit. 

Now, as she prepares to return to power, the question arises: Will this alliance propel the INDIA bloc forward?

14:50 (IST) 04 June 2024

BJP gets its new win at Chitradurga constituency

BJP Candidate Govind Makthappa Karjol won from the Chitradurga constituency in Karnataka with a total votes of 6,84,890 whereas his nearest rival Congress' B N Chandrappa got 6,36,769 votes. Govind Makhthappa defeated Chandrappa with a margin of 48,121 votes.

14:38 (IST) 04 June 2024

Congress opens its account with Jalandhar constituency

Congress party's Charanjit Singh Channi and former Chief Minister of Punjab won Jalandhar reserve constituency with 3,90,053 votes. He defeated his rival BJP candidate Sushil Rinku with a margin of 1,75,993 votes.

14:18 (IST) 04 June 2024

Patnaik leading in both Kantabanji, Hinjili Assembly seats

Odisha Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik is leading by 2,217 votes over his nearest BJP rival Laxman Bag in the Kantabanji Assembly seat.

The BJD supremo is also leading by 3,643 votes over his nearest rival Sisir Kumar Mishra of BJP in the Hinjili assembly seat, the other constituency he is contesting, in the Ganjam district.

14:10 (IST) 04 June 2024

BJP’s first win in Jaipur

In Rajasthan, BJP’s Manju Sharma won the Jaipur Lok Sabha seat by defeating her nearest rival, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas of Congress, with a margin of 3,31,767 votes. Manju Sharma polled 8,86,850 votes.

13:58 (IST) 04 June 2024

The competition is now neck-and-neck

The BJP-led NDA’s “is baar 400 paar” seem all but dashed. As of 1.30 pm, the ruling coalition was still pushing hard to reach even the 300-seat mark, well short of its 400-seat target.

In a major upset, the Congress-led INDIA bloc and the Samajwadi Party have taken the lead in Uttar Pradesh with 42 seats, while NDA is leading in 37.

In Rajasthan and Gujarat, where BJP made a clean sweep in 2019, Congress looks set to win and make a dramatic comeback.

Meanwhile, the TMC is leading in West Bengal.

13:55 (IST) 04 June 2024

Ex-TN CM O Panneerselvam trails behind IUML in Ramanathapuram LS seat

Former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam is trailing behind Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) candidate and sitting MP Navaskani K in Ramanathapuram Parliamentary constituency.

Panneerselvam, expelled from the AIADMK, aligned with the BJP and contested as an independent.

He secured 94,404 votes, about 68,020 votes less than Navaskani, contesting in alliance with the DMK, who obtained 1,62,424 votes.

13:50 (IST) 04 June 2024

BJP's Atul Garg leading in Ghaziabad by 1.14 lakh votes

Atul Garg, who replaced former union minister V K Singh as BJP's Ghaziabad Lok Sabha candidate, is leading by a margin of over 1.14 lakh votes.

Garg has polled over 3.26 lakh votes as compared to Congress' Dolly Sharma who bagged 2.11 lakh votes and Bahujan Samaj Party's Nand Kishor Pundir who got 38,653 votes.

12:50 (IST) 04 June 2024

MP: BJP ahead in all 29 LS seats

The BJP is leading in all 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh, as per trends available so far of vote counting underway.

Prominent BJP candidates who are leading included Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Vidisha), Faggan Singh Kulaste (Mandla), Shankar Lalwani (Indore), VD Sharma (Khajuraho), Sandhya Rai (Bhind), Lata Wankhede (Sagar), Virendra Kumar (Tikamgarh), Alok Sharma (Bhopal) and Rodmal Nagar (Rajgarh).

In Indore, BJP candidate Shankar Lalwani is leading by a margin of 7,40,528 votes, while NOTA has got 1,45,837 votes so far.

12:45 (IST) 04 June 2024

Haryana: Cong leads in six seats, BJP in four

The Congress is leading with six of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana and the ruling BJP was ahead in four constituencies till noon. 

Congress candidates are leading in Ambala, Gurugram, Hisar, Rohtak, Sirsa and Sonipat while the BJP is ahead in Bhiwani-Mahendragarh, Faridabad, Karnal and Kurukshetra.

Congress stalwart Kumari Selja is leading with a comfortable margin of 1,23,327 votes over her BJP rival Ashok Tanwar in the Sirsa seat.

In Rohtak, senior Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda is ahead of sitting BJP MP Arvind Sharma by 1,22,185 votes.

12:28 (IST) 04 June 2024

Odisha BJP VP Golak Mohapatra says people want govt change

12:20 (IST) 04 June 2024

Rajasthan election update: BJP in the lead with 14 seats

BJP is in the lead on 14 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan while Congress is leading at eight seats and three INDIA bloc parties at one seat each. The INDIA bloc parties are CPI(M), Rashtriya Loktantrik Party and Bharatiya Adivasi Party, leading at Sikar, Nagaur and Banswara, respectively.

The leading BJP candidates include Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Bhupender Yadav and Om Birla.

12:15 (IST) 04 June 2024

Manoj Tiwari leading against Kanhaiya Kumar

BJP's Manoj Tiwari leading by 43,649 votes against Congress's Kanhaiya Kumar in North East Delhi constituency.

11:55 (IST) 04 June 2024

Sensex drops 3700 points, Nifty 1200 points as contest thickens

India's stock futures rose, extending Monday's surge, as investors eagerly awaited the final result of the marathon six-week election that concluded over the weekend.

Whereas after the exit polls, the share market surged with an increase of 2000 points in Sensex and 1000 points in Nifty, at the same on the day of the result today, the market is falling with the same result and maybe even worse. 

In the morning when the market opened, NSE Nifty 50 Index advanced by up to 0.4%, following a 3.3% gain in the underlying benchmark during the previous session. 

11:38 (IST) 04 June 2024

TMC leading in 24, BJP in 7, Cong in 3 seats in Bengal

The TMC surged ahead of its rivals as it was leading in 24 seats, whereas the BJP was leading in seven and the Congress in three seats after the initial round of counting.

TMC candidate and sitting MP Abhishek Banerjee is leading in Diamond Harbour constituency over his nearest rival BJP's Abhijit Das by a margin of 96,507 votes.

TMC's Hooghly candidate Rachana Banerjee was over her nearest BJP rival and sitting MP Locket Chatterjee by a margin of over five thousand votes.

TMC candidate and two-time MP Asit Mal was leading from Bolpur over her nearest rival BJP's Piya Saha by 6,010 votes.

In Malda Dakshin, Congress candidate Isha Khan Choudhury was leading by 11,733 votes over his nearest BJP rival Sreerupa Mitra Chowdhury.

11:30 (IST) 04 June 2024

Congress' Raj Babbar seems happy, or so he says

11:25 (IST) 04 June 2024

Jammu & Kashmir election update: BJP's Jugal Kishor continues with the lead, JKNC's Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi leading from Srinagar seat

BJP's candidate Jugal Kishore continues to lead with 102,682 votes. Raman Bhalla, the Indian National Congress (INC) candidate, trails behind with 72,114 votes, resulting in a difference of 30,568 votes.

JKNC's Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi leading from the Srinagar seat. Jammu and Kashmir National Conference leader and candidate Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi is leading from the Srinagar seat.

11:15 (IST) 04 June 2024

BJP leading on all seats in Uttarakhand

As of now, the BJP is leading in all five Lok Sabha seats of Uttarakhand. Here are the specific leads for each seat:

- Ajay Bhatt is leading by 11,296 votes in Nainital.

- Ajay Tamta is leading by 56,292 votes in Almora.

- Anil Baluni is leading by 30,355 votes in Garhwal (Pauri).

- Trivendra Singh Rawat is leading by 20,101 votes in Haridwar.

- Mala Rajya Lakshmi Shah is leading by 22,531 votes in Tehri Garhwal.

Independent candidate Boby Panwar, a poll debutant, has emerged as the closest rival to the BJP’s Mala Rajyalakshi Shah in Tehri Garhwal, relegating Jot Singh Gunsola of the Congress to the third position in the initial rounds of counting.

11:05 (IST) 04 June 2024

Modi takes lead in Varanasi

PM Modi is leading by 21,629 votes over Congress's Ajay Rai after trailing for a brief period in his stronghold constituency. 

According to the current situation, the opposition’s INDIA bloc has made massive gains when compared to 2019, having crossed the 200-seat mark, according to early trends which also show that the NDA has already crossed the majority mark and looks poised to return to power.

Among the big names that are leading at the moment are Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad and Rajiv Chandrasekhar in Thiruvananthapuram, ahead of Congress’s Shashi Tharoor. Akhilesh Yadav is ahead in Kannauj. 

The NDA has also been performing well in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal as of now. 

10:55 (IST) 04 June 2024

BJP leads in Gujarat with 22 seats

The BJP is leading on 22 seats in Gujarat, while the Congress is ahead on three seats. These trends were issued by the Election Commission of India. The Congress contested from 24 seats in alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which fielded candidates in Bhavnagar and Bharuch constituencies. 

BJP's MukeshKumar Chandrakaant Dalal has already taken one seat uncontested from the Surat constituency. 

10:30 (IST) 04 June 2024

Check out how your favorite celebrities are faring

In the Lok Sabha elections, several film stars participated as candidates across the country. Notably, actors such as Kangana Ranaut, Arun Govil, Suresh Gopi, Shatrughan Sinha and cricketer Yusuf Pathan, contesting from West Bengal's Behrampur for TMC, have garnered significant attention. 

For the BJP, Kangana Ranaut contested from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh; Arun Govil from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh; and Suresh Gopi from Thrissur, Kerala. Shatrughan Sinha, on the other side, contested for a TMC seat in Asansol, West Bengal.

Other notable celebrity candidates include Indian actors Hema Malini (BJP, Mathura), Raadhika Sarathkumar (BJP, Virudhunagar), Locket Chatterjee (BJP, Hooghly), Manoj Tiwari (BJP, Northeast Delhi), Ravi Kishan (BJP, Gorakhpur), Pawan Singh (Independent, Karakat), Pawan Kalyan (Pithapuram, JSP), M. Mukesh (CPIM, Kollam), and G Krishna Kumar (BJP, Kollam).

As the results for the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections 2024 also unfold today, spectators are closely monitoring the Pithapuram and Hindupur constituencies, where Telugu stars Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Pawan Kalyan and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) candidate Nandamuri Bala Krishna contested.

10:09 (IST) 04 June 2024

Delhi Lok Sabha seats: BJP takes lead over INC with 6 seats

BJP is leading in six constituencies whereas INC is leading in one constituency. None for Aam Aadmi Party yet.

09:51 (IST) 04 June 2024

Delhi election body starts counting over 89.21 lakh votes

With a staggering 8,921,000 votes to tally, the authorities have implemented a robust three-tier security arrangement at the seven counting centers across the city.

A dedicated force of 7,000 personnel has been deployed at these centers to ensure a smooth and secure process. Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer, P. Krishnamurthy, affirmed that all necessary arrangements have been made. 

Among the voters, 59.03% are men, 58.29% are women, and 28.01% identify as third gender. Approximately 21 to 28 rounds of counting will determine the fate of the candidates in the seven constituencies.

09:45 (IST) 04 June 2024

Narendra Modi trails in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trailing by over 6,000 votes in Varanasi, his own stronghold, against Congress candidate Ajay Rai.

09:38 (IST) 04 June 2024

BJP-led NDA crosses the 150 mark

As per the recent report by the Election Commission of India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has crossed the 150-seat mark, surpassing its previous performance. Additionally, the Congress party has shown improvement compared to its 2019 election tally.

08:28 (IST) 04 June 2024

Counting has begun in Gujarat's 25 Lok Sabha seats

The Surat seat was already won uncontested by the BJP after the Congress nominee's nomination papers were rejected and other candidates opted out of the race.

08:23 (IST) 04 June 2024 

NDA is leading in early trends

As postal ballot counting began, the BJP-led NDA has taken a lead in early trends, as reported by several television channels. According to India Today, NDA is leading in 111 seats, while the opposition's INDIA bloc stands at 67.

08:28 (IST) 04 June 2024

Counting has begun in Gujarat's 25 Lok Sabha seats. 

The Surat seat was already won uncontested by the BJP after the Congress nominee's nomination papers were rejected and other candidates opted out of the race.

08:23 (IST) 04 June 2024 

NDA is leading in early trends

As postal ballot counting began, the BJP-led NDA has taken a lead in early trends, as reported by several television channels. According to India Today, NDA is leading in 111 seats, while the opposition's INDIA bloc stands at 67.

08:17 (IST) 04 June 2024 

Counting has begun and there have been complaints from West Bengal. 

BJP candidate Abhijit Das (Bobby), who is contesting against TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee, reported that some of his agents were forced out of the counting center.

08:10 (IST) 04 June 2024

Counting started for 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra

The state is witnessing a contest between two major alliances: the Mahayuti alliance, comprising of the BJP, Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP), and the Maha Vikas Aghadi, consisting of the Indian National Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) (Shiv Sena-UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) (NCP–SP). Both factions of the Shiv Sena are competing in 13 constituencies, while the NCP factions are contending against each other in two.

08:00 (IST) 04 June 2024

The counting of votes begins with postal ballots

The counting of votes has started with postal ballots, which often turn out to be a key factor. The National Democratic Alliance, led by the BJP, is aiming to return for a third term. Narendra Modi looks set to become the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected for a third consecutive term.