As India’s Lok Sabha election results start pouring in, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is surging ahead with early trends indicating a lead in 180 seats. The opposition’s INDIA bloc is trailing with 121 seats. The BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has set an ambitious target of 370 seats for itself and is aiming for the NDA to cross the 400-seat mark. If successful, Modi would be the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to secure a third consecutive term and match the record of the Indian National Congress from 1984, which won 404 seats following the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi .The counting began at 8 a.m. under tight security, with the BJP already securing a win in Surat. In Delhi, the BJP is leading in six out of seven seats, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), part of the INDIA bloc, leading in one seat. The results are also anticipated to reveal the outcomes for assembly elections in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, which could have significant implications for regional politics. The BJP’s campaign, centered on Modi’s leadership, has resonated with many voters, and the party is projected to win more than 400 of the 543 seats up for grabs, securing a clear majority.The election has been the largest in the world, with 642 million people voting. Critics and opposition fear that a BJP win may lead to attempts to change the Indian constitution to further solidify its Hindu nationalist agenda. The results of the Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim are also being declared simultaneously.
Key points
- BJP leads with 180 seats in early Lok Sabha election results, while INDIA bloc has 121 seats.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims for a third consecutive term, a record only matched by Jawaharlal Nehru.
- The BJP is projected to win more than 400 of the 543 seats, potentially changing the Indian constitution to further its agenda.
- In Delhi, the BJP is leading in six out of seven seats, with AAP leading in one seat.
