Election Results 2024: NDA eyes majority; India bloc beats exit polls' predictions

Early trends of the 2024 Lok Sabha election results point to significant gains for the Opposition’s INDIA bloc compared to 2019, having already surpassed the 200-seat milestone in early leads. Despite this surge, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA (National Democratic Alliance) seems on track to retain power, approaching the threshold needed to form a government.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Congress is demonstrating notable strength, taking the lead in six constituencies. Specifically, in Rae Bareli, Rahul Gandhi maintains a lead of 28,326 votes over BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh, while in Amethi, KL Sharma is ahead of Smriti Irani by approximately 10,423 votes.

Smriti Irani in Amethi currently trails by 23,428 votes, contesting for re-election. Congress's Kishori Lal Sharma holds the lead over her, according to the Election Commission's data.

In contrast, Rahul Gandhi of Congress enjoys a significant lead of 50,589 votes in Rae Bareli, surpassing BJP's candidate and Uttar Pradesh minister Dinesh Singh.

In Barabanki, Tanuj Punia, son of veteran leader PL Punia, leads by 16,866 votes against BJP's Rajrani Rawat. Rakesh Rathor of Congress is ahead by 22,738 votes against BJP's Rakesh Verma in Sitapur.

In Saharanpur, Imran Masood enjoys a lead of 33,128 votes over incumbent BJP MP Raghav Lakhan Pal. Meanwhile, in Bansgaon, Sadal Prasad of Congress holds a slim lead of 355 votes over BJP's Kamlesh Paswan.

High-profile leaders are currently leading in their constituencies, with Rahul Gandhi ahead in Wayanad and Rajiv Chandrasekhar outpacing Congress’s Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi leads in Varanasi, while Akhilesh Yadav is ahead in Kannauj. The NDA is performing robustly in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, crucial states for the BJP's goal of surpassing 400 seats.

The election covered 543 Lok Sabha seats over seven phases, with 272 needed for a majority. Simultaneously, vote counting for assembly elections in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh is underway.

A fierce battle is unfolding between Shashi Tharoor and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, with leads frequently shifting. The Election Commission's latest figures show Tharoor ahead by over 2,000 votes.

As per Election Commission figures, the NDA is leading in 24 seats, while the INDIA bloc is ahead in 22 seats. Further, AIMIM has opened its account by the party's Aurangabad candidate Imtiaz Jaleel Syed.

Bihar

The NDA is currently leading in 30 seats across Bihar, while the INDIA bloc has a lead in seven seats. Among the BJP candidates, those in Paschim Champaran, Purvi Champaran, Araria, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Maharajganj, Begusarai, Patna Sahib, and Nawada are ahead. JD(U) candidates are also leading in Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Supaul, Kishanganj, Purnea, Madhepura, Gopalganj, Banka, Munger, and Nalanda seats.

Jitan Ram Manjhi, former Bihar Chief Minister and founder of Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), another NDA alliance partner, is currently leading by 29,767 votes over his closest competitor Kumar Sarvjeet of RJD in the Gaya Lok Sabha seat, based on early trends from the EC website.

Uttarakhand

The BJP is on track for a near sweep in Uttarakhand for the third consecutive term, leading in all five seats. According to the latest trends, the BJP has established a comfortable lead across the board.

In the Nainital–Udham Singh Nagar seat, incumbent BJP MP Ajay Bhatt is ahead by over 1.51 lakh votes. In Almora, BJP MP Ajay Tamta leads by more than 69,000 votes.

BJP’s Anil Baluni holds a lead of over 35,000 votes in Garhwal, while in Tehri Garhwal, BJP MP Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah is also ahead by over 35,000 votes.

Himachal

The BJP's dominance in Himachal Pradesh remains unchallenged, with indications pointing to a clean sweep of all four seats in the state.

Kangana Ranaut, BJP's candidate from Mandi, holds a lead of 23,156 votes. Meanwhile, Union Minister Anurag Thakur, aiming for a fifth term from Hamirpur, is ahead by a significant margin of 50,152 votes.

On the other hand, former Union Minister and Congress candidate Anand Sharma, contesting from Kangra, is trailing by a substantial 81,315 votes. At the same time, Suresh Kashyap, former BJP state president and current MP from Shimla, maintains a lead of 26,122 votes.

Varanasi

After a brief setback, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has surged ahead, now leading Congress's Ajay Rai by 21,629 votes.

Jharkhand

BJP is leading in 7 seats in Jharkhand- Dumka, Godda, Jamshedpur, Lohardaga, Palamu, Hazaribagh, Koderma.

Uttar Pradesh

In Uttar Pradesh, early trends reveal substantial gains for the INDIA bloc, driven by Akhilesh Yadav’s SP. The BJP leads in 34 seats, RLD in 2, SP in 30, and Congress in 6.

Amethi

BJP's Smriti Irani, who unseated Rahul Gandhi in 2019, is currently trailing behind Congress’s Kishori Lal Sharma by 23,428 votes.

Gurgaon

In Gurgaon, BJP veteran Rao Inderjit Singh is trailing Congress’s Raj Babbar by 25,462 votes, hinting at a potential upset.

Punjab

Congress’s Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa is leading in Punjab's Gurdarpur seat, while AAP's Amansher Singh Kalsi trails. Former deputy chief minister Randhawa leads by 2,368 votes.

Anantnag-Rajouri

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti is trailing in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat.

Arunachal Pradesh

The BJP is leading in both Arunachal Pradesh Lok Sabha seats. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju leads in Arunachal West by 12,161 votes over Congress's Nabam Tuki, while sitting MP Tapir Gao leads in Arunachal East by 3,591 votes over Congress's Bosiram Siram.

Andhra Pradesh

In Andhra Pradesh, the TDP, part of the NDA, is leading in 50 Assembly seats, while the YSRCP leads in 11. For the Lok Sabha, TDP leads in 8 of the 25 seats, while YSRCP leads in 3.

Guna, long regarded as a Scindia stronghold, is on track to remain under Jyotiraditya Scindia's influence, as he leads by a substantial margin of 1,26,168 votes over his closest Congress opponent, Yadvendra Rao Deshraj Singh.

Mian Altaf has established a commanding lead over Mehbooba Mufti by more than 73,000 votes. With the inclusion of Rajouri-Poonch in the Anantnag constituency, Gujjar and Pahari voters have become the decisive force, especially given the low turnout among Kashmiri voters.