Modi-led BJP loses majority in big setback

10.17 PM - President Ranil Wickremesinghe congratulates the BJP led NDA
sident Ranil Wickremesinghe congratulated the BJP led NDA for their electoral victory. The President recognised the confidence demonstrated by the Indian people in the progress and prosperity under the leadership of Narendra Modi, while expressing confidence in the continued growth in relations between Sri Lanka and India.

10.07 PM - Congress leader thanks Wayanad, Rae Bareli after double victory

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the scion of one of India’s most politically consequential families, came roaring back this election after an embarrasing defeat for the seat representing the Uttar Pradesh city of Amethi in 2019.

This time around, Gandhi won two seats: The Kerala district of Wayanad and the Rae Bareli district in Uttar Pradesh.

A by election is set to be held for whichever seat he turns down.

“Thank you to the people of Wayanad and Rae Bareli for the huge support that you have given me,” he said in a post on X, adding he wishes he could represent both districts.

10.01PM -BJP continues its electoral dominance in Modi’s home stateThe BJP has continued its electoral dominance in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat, where it won 25 out of the 26 seats.

The Congress party managed to win a single seat in the Western state after a decade. The BJP had swept the state in 2014 and 2019 elections.

The BJP has been governing the state since 1995. Modi was the state’s chief minister for more than a decade before becoming prime minister in 2014.

09.45PM - White house applauds India’s ‘vibrant democratic process’

White House national security spokesman John Kirby praised the Indian people for going to the poll and “participating in a very vibrant democratic process”.

He said Washington looks forward to seeing the final results.

09.30 PM - Congress gains in Mumbai

India’s financial capital has six Lok Sabha seats — and in 2019, the BJP and its allies swept all six.

As in many other parts of India, 2024 has thrown up a very different outcome: The Congress and its allies are ahead on four seats, with the BJP and its partners leading in only two, with almost all votes counted.

09.21 PM - Modi again claims victory for NDA

"We have to take a lot of decisions for the future of India," Modi says, adding: "This relationship of trust is a big strength of the democracy."

Modi ends his speech by thanking voters, who he says have given his alliance the chance to serve India for a third time.

Claiming victory for the NDA, he says he is "very grateful" to his fellow countrymen.

Finally, he shouts "long live mother India" - the chant he started his address with.

09.16 PM - Modi promises to do everything to eradicate corruption

A significant theme of Modi's speech is how the country fared during the pandemic, taking credit for supporting Indians throughout this period.

The prime minister also names some of the industries and groups of people he hopes to support in future - including in the defence sector, young people and farmers.

He pledges to bring about a "green industrialisation", and declares the country is entering a "green era".

09.07 PM - BJP took 'steps without pressure' in pandemic

Modi moves to talk about what he cites as his successes in government.

He talks of how banking was reformed and how his party helped India during the coronavirus pandemic a few years ago.

"The country was in quite a bad state," he says gesturing to the crowd.

09.04 PM - First election since death of mother

Modi says he "salutes" the people of India, adding that he bows down before them.

He then goes on to say that his is the first election since the death of his mother.

But, he says, he has been surrounded by "love" and many women have given him their blessings as he has travelled around the country.

09.03 PM - BJP has doubled votes in some areas, Modi says

Modi says since 1962, no government has won a third term, to which the crown begins to clap and chants his name.

He says that the number of votes for his party has doubled in some areas, including in Delhi, where he says the BJP has achieved a “clean sweep”.

Modi goes on to say that his party also won a seat in Kerala, where workers have made “a lot of sacrifices for generations”.

08.51 PM - 'Biggest victory in the world'

Prime Minister Modi says his alliance, the NDA, "continues her time" and will form a government.

"Today's victory is the biggest in the world," he says, describing it as as "victory for the Indians".

He thanks the election committee for its work, especially in the "extreme hot weather".

"They have done it with so much skill... there were so many polling stations", he says, adding that every worker has "done their duty and they have fulfilled their responsibility".

09.00 PM - Modi hails third term of NDA majority, despite under performance

Speaking to supporters, Modi made little reference to his party’s under performance in the poll.

Instead, he said the election was a ringing endorsement for the BJP-led NDA coalition.

“Since 1962 this is the first time that any government, after serving two terms, returns for third term,” he said.

He called the results “humbling and joyful” for me.

“To every voter of the country on this moment of victory, I want to bow down and salute them,” he said.

08.50 PM - Modi hails ‘victory of the people’ in address

Modi has begun his address at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi.

“Our citizens in India have full faith in the party, and today’s victory is a victory of the people,” he said.

He hailed the country’s administration of the “world’s largest election”

08.22 PM - Modi arrives to celebration at BJP headquarters

His party may have under performed, but Modi was greeted by a celebratory atmosphere at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi.

He waved to cheering supporters under confetti as he entered the building ahead of his expected address.

08.00 PM - BJP makes history with first win in Kerala

Actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi has given the right-wing Hindu nationalist party its first ever victory in the southern state of Kerala.

Gopi, 65, defeated Communist Party candidate VS Sunilkumar in the Thrissur constituency by more than 74,000 votes.

Kerala, one of India’s most developed states, has traditionally swung between the left and the Congress.

07.1 PM - What will election mean for US-India ties?

The alliance helmed by Prime Minister Modi’s BJP party is on track to win a majority in the Lok Sabha, although likely with less seats than five years ago.

That means US-India relations are unlikely to substantially change, at least in the short term.

India has increasingly emerged as a major lynch pin in the administration of president Joe Biden’s policy in Asia, particularly as part of efforts to counter China’s influence.

That was on display last year when Biden hosted Modi for a state visit – the highest form of US diplomacy. Biden hailed the two countries as one of the “defining relationships of the 21st century”.

It was a move that again put the US president on a tight-rope walk, with critics accusing Biden of normalising alleged rights abuses and discriminatory practices under Modi’s government.

06.57 PM -  ‘Modi broke many parties, people broke his morale’

Top opposition leader and West Bengal state’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee says Modi and his party lost due to their “arrogance”.

“I am happy that the prime minister did not get the majority figure. He has lost credibility, he should resign immediately,” she told reporters.

“Even after causing so many atrocities, spending so much money, this arrogance… INDIA has won and Modi has lost. They have even lost in Ayodhya,” she added, referring to the town in Uttar Pradesh state where Modi inaugurated a grand Hindu temple earlier this year to kickstart his election campaign.

It was in Ayodhya that a 16th-century mosque was demolished in 1992 by a Hindu mob. Modi’s BJP claimed the mosque stood at the exact site where their god, Lord Ram, was born.

The demolition triggered deadly riots across India and catapulted the BJP into the political mainstream.

06.46 PM - BJP’s Smriti Irani concedes defeat in Congress bastion

The federal minister has conceded defeat in Amethi, a Congress stronghold for decades. In one of the most stunning upsets in the 2019 election, Irani had defeated former Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

This year, Irani was pitted against Kishori Lal, a close associate of the Gandhi family, who defeated her by a margin of more than 160,000 votes.

“I express my gratitude to all the BJP party workers and supporters, those who have worked in the service of the constituency and the party with utmost dedication and fidelity,” Irani told reporters.

“I congratulate those who won. I will continue to be in the service of the people of Amethi.”

06.39 PM -  Rahul Gandhi says voters have ‘punished’ Modi’s party

Rahul Gandhi says voters have “punished” Modi’s ruling BJP after election results showed the government projected to return with a reduced majority.

“Voters have punished the BJP,” Gandhi told reporters. “I was confident that the people of this country would give the right response.”

06.14 PM - Political and moral defeat of Modi, says Congress chief

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge says the election results are a “political and moral defeat” for Prime Minister Modi.

“The people of India didn’t give him majority … it is clear mandate against Modi,” he told during a news conference in New Delhi, sitting next to Rahul Gandhi, the prime minister’s main opponent.

“It was a Modi versus the people fight,” he added. “History will remember Modi’s vitriolic election campaign for a long time.”

Kharge said the Congress fought against “all odds and obstacles” as the main opposition party saw its bank accounts frozen. “Still, our campaign remained positive,” he said.

06.01 PM - ‘It was a fight to save the constitution’: Rahul Gandhi

Holding a copy of the Indian constitution during a news conference in New Delhi, the Congress leader says the workers of the party have taken the first step to save the constitution.

“The Congress party has given a new vision, a pro-poor vision, a pro-production vision,” he said.

“The people of the country have said that they do not want Narendra Modi and Amit Shah to run this country anymore,” Gandhi said, referring to Modi’s chief aide and federal home minister.

What do the latest results show?

As the counting of votes continues, the early trends still hold.

The BJP, which was the favourite to win the elections, is now struggling to get past the simple majority mark of 272. The party will now have to rely on allies to form a government.

The Hindu nationalist party won 303 seats in 2019 and 282 in 2014. The opposition Congress, which won 52 seats in 2019 and 44 in 2014, has made major gains, though it is still in a distant second place.

05.31 PM - Modi retains Varanasi seat in Uttar Pradesh

Incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi has won his Lok Sabha seat in Varanasi, according to the election commission.

He received 612,970 votes in the polls, 152,513 ahead of his Congress rival Ajay Rai.

05.01 PM -  Bollywood actress set to win on BJP ticket

Kangana Ranaut is set to enter parliament from Mandi in the northern Himachal Pradesh state after her opponent, Vikramaditya Singh of the Congress, conceded defeat.

“I congratulate BJP candidate Kangana Ranaut for winning Mandi Lok Sabha seat,” Singh told the ANI news agency.

Ranaut, 37, is a staunch Modi supporter and has recently been seen in films considered propagandist and nationalist by critics.

4.03 PM - The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has crossed the halfway mark in the Lok Sabha elections, but the lead is narrower than what exit polls had predicted.

The narrow margin prompted talks that the Opposition may reach out to some of the BJP's allies, a charge Nationalist Congress Party patriarch Sharad Pawar denied.

During a press conference, Mr Pawar denied reports that he has reached out to Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) head Chandrababu Naidu.

03.33 PM - Amit Shah Leads With Huge Margin

Home Minister Amit Shah is leading in the Gandhinagar constituency in Gujarat with a huge margin of over 6.15 lakh votes.

03.24 PM - Rahul Gandhi currently in large lead in Kerela seat.

Aside from running in Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, Congress’ Rahul Gandhi is also seeking re-election from southern Kerala state’s Wayanad.

So far, Gandhi is leading by a whopping 350,000, with his current vote tally at 623,539. Annie Raja of the Communist Party of India, a fellow member of the Congress-led INDIA bloc, is in a distant second with 273,509 votes casted for her so far.

He was elected for the first time from Wayanad in 2019.

India allows candidates to contest multiple constituencies but they can represent only one.

3.12 PM-  The BJP-led NDA alliance is currently ahead in 280 seats while the Congress coalition defies exit polls by leading in 222.

So far, official results have been declared on three of 543 seats, with the NDA winning two of them.

02:31 PM -  Manish Tewari Leads

Congress leader Manish Tewari is leading in Chandigarh parliamentary constituency against  BJP's Sanjay Tandon with a margin of over 8,450 votes. 

02.13 PM - BJP's star in the south is trailing

One of the BJP’s strongest hopes, K Annamalai, is trailing in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore seat by more than 23,000 votes.

The party had high hopes that the former police officer would help them gain in a state that has traditionally rejected it.

01.27 PM - PM Modi leads in Varanasi

PM Narendra Modi has a comfortable lead of over 98,000 votes in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi seat, where he is the incumbent MP.

Prominent regional Samajwadi Party and the Congress have fielded Ajay Rai as their joint candidate.

Mr Modi won with a vote share of more than 63% here in 2019.

1.20 PM - ‘Modi will still be PM’: BJP spokesperson

Despite the lower-than-expected numbers for the BJP, the party is still confident of forming the next government — and under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has ruled for the past decade, and under whom the party fought this campaign.

“Whatever the results eventually show, here are some facts: We will form the next government, and Narendra Modi will be sworn in as prime minister for a third time,” BJP spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill told India Today channel. “And the opposition will be in tears.”

01.05 PM -The Congress party and its ally, the Samajwadi Party, are leading on half the seats in the northern state, which has the most Lok Sabha seats in the country.

The SP is leading in 37 seats, with the BJP in second place, ahead in 32 seats. The Congress is the lead in 7 seats.

In the 2014 election, the Modi-led BJP won 62 seats in UP, and 71 in the election before that in 2014.

In area, it is nearly as big as the United Kingdom and its 241 million residents are more than the total population of neighbouring Pakistan or Brazil.

Winning UP is a key determinant of who rules nationally in New Delhi.

12.05 PM - Veteran actor Raj Babbar is leading in Gurgaon seat on Congress ticket by over 30,000 seats 

11.58 AM -Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's alliance raced to a majority in early vote counting trends in the general election, but the numbers were well short of the landslide predicted in exit polls. Opposition gains are higher than expected.

11.48 AM - When Narendra Modi launched his campaign with the slogan “Ab ki baar, 400 paar,” he aimed for more than 400 seats for his BJP-led NDA alliance. The most optimistic exit polls even predicted a clear 400 seats for them.

However, early trends indicate a much tighter contest with the Congress-led INDIA alliance, a centre-left coalition. Speculation is already rife about whether the BJP alone will reach the 272 seats needed for a majority in the 543-seat parliament.

The lead between the two coalitions appears narrower than expected, with early trends showing a difference of only 60 to 70 seats.

11.32 AM - As early trends show the INDIA alliance crossing 200 seats, the mood at the BJP office appears to have become distinctly guarded.

Party spokespersons, however, are maintaining that the NDA alliance is comfortably placed to form the next government.

The opposition alliance's performance in early trends appears to have come as a surprise to many party workers here.

However, some party spokespersons say it's still too early to comment and things will only be clear by noon.

11.24 AM - The election commission has released the current leads in 541 out 543 Lok Sabha seats.

The BJP-led NDA alliance is now leading on 282 seats, while the Congress and its allies are ahead in 219 constituencies.

The BJP is leading is leading on 237 seats, while the Congress is ahead on 97. In the previous election, the BJP won a total of 303 seats.

11.21 AM - The All India Trinamool Congress, a member of the opposition INDIA alliance and the party ruling the eastern state of West Bengal, is ahead in 29 of the state’s 42 seats in leads so far.

If that trend holds, the BJP, which is ahead in 10 seats, will be disappointed. West Bengal is a state where the BJP has made major gains in recent years after having almost no presence for decades. It’s a state Prime Minister Modi has personally spent several days in, campaigning and accusing the Trinamool Congress of corruption and political violence.

The Congress is leading in two seats in the state.

11.10 AM - The Telugu Desam Party, a regional outfit in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh that is a part of the BJP’s national alliance, appears poised for a comfortable win in state legislature elections that were held alongside the parliamentary vote.

According to the latest updated from the election commission, the TDP is ahead in 125 out of the state’s 175 assembly seats. The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), which currently rules the state, is ahead in only 20 constituencies.

In the Lok Sabha vote too, the TDP is ahead in 15 of the state’s 25 constituencies, with the YSRCP ahead in four constituencies.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance is leading as India counts votes after a mammoth seven-phase election – the world’s largest democratic exercise – that began on April 19 and ended on Saturday.

A party or coalition needs 272 seats to cross the majority mark in the 543-member Lok Sabha, the lower house of India’s parliament.

Exit polls show Modi is well on track to return to power for a third consecutive term, while the Indian National Congress party-led opposition bloc hopes to upstage him.

The Election Commission says a record-breaking 642 million voters cast their ballots in the staggered election as it dismissed opposition concerns over how the votes would be counted.

However, the voter turnout this year was 66.3 percent, about one percentage point lower than 2019.