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NDA Touches Majority Mark In RS

With 12 leaders elected unopposed, including Union ministers and senior politicians, the NDA now holds 112 seats in the Rajya Sabha, reducing dependence on allies. Opposition numbers stand at 85….reports Asian Lite News

Union ministers Ravneet Singh Bittu and George Kurian were elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha Tuesday along with senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi and former minister Upendra Kushwaha.

Other candidates who were declared winner after the deadline for the withdrawal of nomination ended at 3 pm were BJP leaders Kiran Choudhry (Haryana), Mamata Mohanata (Odisha) and Manan Kumar Mishra (Bihar).

Bypolls were announced on 12 seats that fell vacant as the sitting members, including Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Sarbananda Sonowal and Jyotiraditya Scindia, were elected to Lok Sabha recently.

Four candidates — the BJP’s Dhairyasheel Patil and NCP’s Nitin Patil (both from Maharashtra), and Rameswar Teli and Mission Ranjan Das (both from Assam) — were declared winner on Monday.

Thus, while 11 candidates have been elected unopposed, the winner from the seat in Tripura will be decided by voting on September 3.

Tripura BJP president Rajib Bhattacharjee is up against CPI(M)’s former MLA Sudhan Das from the state.

Senior Congress leader and Supreme Court lawyer Abhishek Singhvi was declared unopposed from Telangana on Tuesday.

Union minister of state and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu was elected unopposed as a member of Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan where three candidates had filed nominations.

One of them was a BJP dummy candidate.

The nomination paper of independent candidate Babita Wadhwani was cancelled during scrutiny on August 22.

BJP’s dummy candidate Sunil Kothari withdrew his nomination on Friday, making Ravneet Singh Bittu as the only candidate in the bye-election. Rajasthan Legislative Assembly principal secretary and election officer Mahavir Prasad Sharma presented a certificate to Yogendra Singh Tanwar, the authorised election agent of Bittu.

The opposition Congress had decided not to field a candidate in the by-election. The election was held after Congress’s KC Venugopal resigned as RS MP when he was elected in the Lok Sabha polls.

From Madhya Pradesh, Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee George Kurian was declared elected unopposed by the returning officer. The vacancy was created following Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s election to the Lok Sabha in June.

Besides Kurian, two others, including state BJP vice-president Kantdev Singh, had filed their nomination papers. Singh, who hails from Singrauli, had submitted his nomination papers as a dummy candidate of the saffron party.

However, nomination papers of one of the two other nominees was rejected during scrutiny, while Singh withdrew his candidature on the last day for opting out of the race (August 27), leading to the unopposed election of Kurian as a Rajya Sabha member for the remaining term (lasting till 2026) of the seat vacated by Scindia, an official said.

The BJP’s Kiran Choudhry, who switched over from the Congress, had filed her nomination for the bypoll from Haryana. And being the lone candidate in the contest in the state, she was declared elected unopposed.

The 69-year-old was given a certificate at 4.33 pm by Returning Officer Saket Kumar for the bypoll at the Haryana Vidhan Sabha secretariat here. Kiran Choudhry, daughter-in-law of former chief minister Bansi Lal, represented the Tosham seat in the Haryana Assembly.

From Odisha, BJP candidate Mamata Mohanata returned to the Rajya Sabha after winning unopposed in the by-election, necessitated by her resignation as a BJD MP and switching sides. Mohanta was declared elected unopposed as there was no candidate in the fray when the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended, officials said.

The opposition BJD and Congress did not field any candidates. However, BJP fielded Jagannath Pradhan as a ‘dummy candidate’, but he withdrew his nomination papers before the end of the deadline, paving the way for Mohanta’s re-election.

Dummy candidates are often fielded by political parties to have a cushion in case the nomination of the official candidate gets rejected. Chief Minister Maohan Charan Majhi congratulated Mohanta in the assembly after the result was declared.

From Bihar, former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha and Supreme Court lawyer Manan Kumar Mishra were elected unopposed. Kushwaha, who heads Rashtriya Lok Morcha, and BJP leader Mishra were candidates of the ruling NDA.

The Rajya Sabha seats, for which the by-elections were held, became vacant after Vivek Thakur of the BJP and Misa Bharti of the RJD were elected to the Lok Sabha. Following today’s bypoll results, the BJP’s strength in the Rajya Sabha has risen to 96 members, contributing to a total of 112 seats for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upper house. This marks a significant increase in the NDA’s legislative power.

Opposition numbers in the Upper House is at 85. Currently, the Rajya Sabha has eight vacant seats: four from Jammu and Kashmir and four for nominated members. This leaves the majority mark in the 245-member house at 119 seats.

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Kharge warns BJP-led NDA on train accidents

Kharge also criticised the BJP-led NDA government for making the budget without consulting others and deciding things on their own…reports Asian Lite News

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday criticized the BJP-led NDA government for recent train accidents, saying that the government should address the issue or face public consequences.

He added that there are numerous vacancies in the railway department, and if crucial technical positions remain unfilled, the railway will weaken naturally.

“The train accidents are happening because the railway department has been weakened. There are lakhs of vacancies in the railway department… If important technical positions are not filled, then the railway will become weak naturally. The railway department has become so weak that accidents are happening one after another. The railway department is not getting money on time… When the railways were not merged in the Finance department, they used to function on their own and whenever they needed anything, they asked the central government for it… Hundreds of people have died, the government should think about this otherwise the people will teach them a lesson,” Kharge told ANI.

Recently, several coaches of the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express derailed in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda, causing three deaths and leaving 30 injured. Additionally, a freight train derailed on the Mathura track early on Sunday.

Kharge also criticised the BJP-led NDA government for making the budget without consulting others and deciding things on their own.

“In this government, they consult no one. They do whatever they want to do. And then when the budget is presented, everyone comes to know which state got what and what the government gave to the people. BJP does not have the tradition of asking anyone about their thoughts,” he told ANI.

Notably, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present Budget for 2024-25 in Lok Sabha on July 23.

The Congress Chief also accused the BJP-led NDA government of ignoring the opposition in Parliament, not letting them raise important issues to hide their failures.

He said, “This government always neglects the opposition and never gives them a chance to raise valid points. Suppose there are issues of public concern that the opposition wants to raise in Parliament or the Rajya Sabha. In that case, they are never given an opportunity because the government doesn’t want people to know about their failures. That’s why they don’t allow it. Blaming the Speaker or the Chairman isn’t right because they act according to the agenda set by the government. It’s the government’s pressure tactics that lead to actions like adjourning the house or cutting short debates.” (ANI)

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Message of elections is against BJP, NDA: Sachin Pilot

Pilot said that the electorate’s mandate was not in favour of any single party or coalition, signifying a shift towards coalition or mixed governments in the future…reports Asian Lite News

Congress leader Sachin Pilot analyzed the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections and said that the electorate rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition in this election.

“People didn’t accept BJP’s campaign of ‘Mandir Masjid’, Hindu Muslim and ‘Mangalsutra’. The central government adopted an attitude, especially against the opposition, such as targeting them, imprisoning elected Chief Ministers, and misusing agencies like the ED and CBI. All these actions have been rejected by the people,” Pilot said.

Pilot emphasized that the electorate dismissed such polarizing tactics and instead inclined towards the Congress’ inclusive manifesto and narrative.

“On the other hand, the Congress, whose numbers have now doubled, was better understood by the public in terms of our manifesto, our narrative, and our campaign. Double-engine has failed in Lucknow (UP), Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Haryana. I am thankful to the workers, leaders and candidates of Congress,” Pilot said.

“The message of this election is definitely against the BJP and NDA,” he added

“If we look at the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, what message do they convey? Before the elections, the BJP went into the elections with 303 seats and claimed in the House that they would win 370 seats and the coalition would secure 400 seats. But when the results came in, BJP ended up with 60-70 fewer seats, stopping at 240, and the coalition’s tally also fell short,” Pilot said.

Pilot said that the electorate’s mandate was not in favour of any single party or coalition, signifying a shift towards coalition or mixed governments in the future.

“The public’s mandate was against both the coalition and the BJP. I believe that the politics and governance the BJP offered and the issues they campaigned on were directly rejected by the people, and all their claims were proven wrong. Today, no party has been given a clear mandate by the people to form the government. Any government that will be formed will be a coalition or a mixed government,” Pilot said.

He also said that the process of government formation is underway, with the President actively involved in nominating candidates and the final outcome will soon become clear.

In Rajasthan, the BJP won 14 out of 25 seats while the Congress managed to secure eight seats. The CPI (M), Rashtriya Loktantrik Party and Bharat Adivasi Party managed to clinch one seat each.

The BJP had secured a majority in Rajasthan in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections getting 24 seats while the Congress which got zero seats in 2019 managed to notch up 8 seats this time.

Voting for Rajasthan’s 25 seats was concluded in the first and second phases on April 19 and 26 respectively.

Meanwhile, according to the Election Commission of India, the BJP won 240 seats, much lower than its 2019 tally of 303. The Congress, on the other hand, registered a strong improvement, winning 99 seats. While the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won 292 seats, the INDIA bloc crossed the 230 mark, posing stiff competition, and defying all predictions.

PM Modi has secured a third term, but the BJP needed the support of other parties in his coalition, primarily JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu. (ANI)

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UAE leaders congratulate Modi

Hailing a deeply rooted strategic partnership between UAE and India, H.H. Sheikh Mohamed said he is looking forward to continued collaboration aimed at advancing the shared development goals….reports Asian Lite News

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a cable of congratulations to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his re-election for a third term.

“I extend my sincere congratulations to my friend Narendra Modi on his re-election as Prime Minister and wish him success in leading India to further progress and growth,” he wrote on social media.

Hailing a deeply rooted strategic partnership between UAE and India, H.H. Sheikh Mohamed said: “I am looking forward to our continued collaboration aimed at advancing the shared development goals of our nations and our peoples.”

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, sent two similar messages to the Indian Prime Minister.

Congratulating Modi on a “historic” third term, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed said: “We trust that India, under his leadership, will maintain its economic progress and continue to build on his remarkable achievements of the past decade.”

“We look forward to further strengthening our bilateral relations across all areas of cooperation for mutual benefit and prosperity,” he added.

Meanwhile, UAE Foreign Minister H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan also congratulated Prime Minister Modi on the victory.

“I heartily congratulate my friend Narendra Modi on his re-election as Prime Minister. I wish him success in leading India on further progress and development. Our two countries have a deep strategic partnership. I look forward to continued cooperation aimed at advancing the shared development goals of our countries and our people,” Sheikh Abdullah posted.

PM Modi is likely to take oath on June 8 after the BJP-led NDA narrowly surpassed the majority mark, winning 293 seats in the 18th Lok Sabha elections, while the opposition INDIA bloc secured 234 seats.

The counting of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was held on Tuesday. According to the Election Commission of India, the BJP won 240 seats, much lower than its 2019 tally of 303.

The main opposition Congress, on the other hand, registered a strong growth, winning 99 seats against 52 in 2019.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal have confirmed they will be attending the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said on Thursday.

Both Hasina and her Nepal counterpart Dahal had previously extended their greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the performance of the NDA at the 18th Lok Sabha elections.

Meanwhile, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is scheduled to visit India to engage with the new government in New Delhi as Narendra Modi is set to take oath as the Prime Minister for a record third consecutive term, the White House said.

Sullivan’s visit was discussed when US President Joe Biden spoke to Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday to congratulate him on his re-election.

“President Joseph Biden Jr spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to congratulate him and the National Democratic Alliance on their historic victory in India’s general election,” the White House said in a statement.

The two leaders stressed their commitment to strengthening the US-India Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership and to advancing their common vision of a free, open and prosperous India-Pacific region, the White House added.

President Biden praised the “friendship” between the US and India on X. This was followed by similar congratulatory messages by other senior members of his Biden administration, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Meanwhile, the decks are now cleared for the BJP-led NDA to form the government following a meeting of the alliance members held here on Wednesday.

All pre-poll allies including TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and JD-U leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with other leaders of the alliance participated in discussions to finalise the modalities for the NDA government’s formation for the third consecutive term.

BJP president J.P. Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and leaders of other parties of the NDA were also present at the meeting.

The NDA has unanimously adopted a resolution electing Narendra Modi as the alliance’s leader.

The resolution highlights “the impactful development witnessed by 1.4 billion Indian citizens across the nation through the NDA government’s public welfare schemes under PM Modi’s leadership over the past decade”.

It acknowledges “the nation’s choice of robust leadership for the third consecutive term”.

The resolution “proudly emphasises the unity showcased by the NDA during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections under PM Modi’s guidance, resulting in a victorious outcome”.

It declares “the unanimous election of Narendra Modi as the leader, affirming the commitment of the NDA government, under his leadership, to serve the underprivileged segments of society, including the poor, women, youth, farmers and marginalised communities”.

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NDA begins govt formation; INDIA bloc to ‘wait and watch’

The ruling and opposition alliances held parallel meetings at the PM’s residence and Congress chief Kharge’s residence respectively, a day after the election results…reports Asian Lite News

Preparations for government formation began on Wednesday with the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) unanimously electing Narendra Modi as its leader while the opposition INDIA bloc said it will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to “realise the people’s desire not to be ruled by the BJP government”.

The ruling and opposition alliances held parallel meetings at the Prime Minister’s residence and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence respectively in the evening, a day after the election results gave a clear majority to the BJP-led NDA.

While the BJP won 240 Lok Sabha seats of its own, the NDA has bagged 293 seats, comfortably above the majority mark of 272 in the 543-member House, paving the way for Modi to take the oath for a third consecutive term, a first for any ruling alliance since 1962.

The opposition INDIA bloc too is buoyed after making stunning gains this time by bagging 234 seats.

Setting the tone for his third straight term as the head of a coalition government, Prime Minister Modi chaired a meeting of the leaders of NDA parties who unanimously elected him as its leader.

The NDA MPs will meet on June 7 to formally elect Modi as their leader and the alliance leaders will then meet the President of India to submit their letters of support, HAM (Secular) leader and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said after attending the meeting.

The new government may be sworn in over the weekend, sources said, adding that there is a view to wrap up the formalities quickly to not allow any mood of uncertainty to build up, something a buoyant opposition may push.

“Met our valued NDA partners. Ours is an alliance that will further national progress and fulfil regional aspirations. We will serve the 140 crore people of India and work towards building a Viksit Bharat,” Prime Minister Modi said on X after the meeting.

At the NDA meeting at PM’s residence, TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, LJP(R) leader Chirag Paswan, JD(S) leader H D Kumarawamy, Jana Sena’s Pawan Kalyan, AGP’s Atul Bora and NCP’s Praful Patel were among the 21 leaders from 16 parties present. The meeting was also attended by BJP’s Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and J P Nadda.

Asked by a reporter if he is in the NDA, Naidu shot back,”We contested the elections together. Why do you doubt.”

With the numbers stacked in favour of the ruling NDA, the INDIA bloc indicated a “wait and watch” approach after its old allies Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu, who are now in the NDA, did not reciprocate to overtures and threw their weight behind Modi.

After nearly two-hour deliberations with other INDIA bloc parties, Kharge said the opposition leaders resolved to continue their fight against the “fascist rule of the BJP led by Modi” even as they thanked the people for their overwhelming support to the bloc.

“We will take appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise people’s desire not to be ruled by the BJP’s government,” Kharge said while reading out a statement adopted by all the alliance constituents after the deliberations at his residence.

He said the decision has been taken by all constituents of the INDIA bloc in one voice.

The joint statement indicated that the alliance is keeping its options open while choosing not to stake a claim at government formation for now.

The Congress president had convened the meeting to discuss the political situation and the election results, explore any possibility of government formation and whether to reach out to their old partners Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu.

Kharge said that the opposition would continue to work together and would definitely stand by the promises made to the people and keep them.

“The constituents of the INDIA bloc thank the people of India for their overwhelming support. The people’s mandate has been a befitting reply to the BJP and their politics of hate, corruption and deprivation,” Kharge said.

“This is a mandate in defence of the Constitution of India, and against price rise, unemployment and crony capitalism and also to save democracy,” Kharge added while announcing the decision of the alliance partners.

In his opening remarks, Kharge said the alliance welcomes all parties that share its fundamental commitment to the values enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution and to its many provisions for economic, social and political justice.

Kharge, flanked by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, NCP (SCP) president Sharad Pawar, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and other leaders including Sharad Pawar, Sitaram Yechury, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Champai Soren, Raghav Chadha, Sanjay Singh, D Raja and Sanjay Raut, said the grouping will continue to fight against the “fascist rule” of the BJP.

“The people’s mandate has given a befitting reply to the BJP and their politics of hate, corruption and deprivation. This is a political and moral defeat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Kharge said.

A resolution was passed at the NDA meeting which said the alliance government will continue working to lift people’s living standards for the country’s all-round development while conserving its heritage.

“We are all proud that the NDA fought the 2024 Lok Sabha polls unitedly under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and won. We all NDA leaders unanimously elect Narendra Modi as our leader,” it added.

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Lotus Withers

Prime Minister Modi to rely on regional satraps to cobble majority to retain power, The results of the seven-phase, seven-week poll which began on April 19 have left the BJP a lot to worry about after India’s most populous state Uttar Pradesh gave the INDIA block a thumbs-up…reports Asian Lite News

Nearly a billion people have given the Narendra Modi-led NDA government a wake-up call in the Lok Sabha elections.

The results of the seven-phase, seven-week poll which began on April 19 have left the BJP a lot to worry about after India’s most populous state Uttar Pradesh gave the INDIA block a thumbs-up.

BJP’s allies TDP and JD-U have done well and have shown a good strike rate. While TDP is poised to win 16 seats, JD-U is ahead in 15 seats.

The NDA with TDP in the lead is also poised to form government in Andhra Pradesh by ousting the YSCRP government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. TDP is leading on 133 of 175 assembly seats in the state.

The BJP-led NDA is leading on 295 seats, the INDIA bloc is ahead on 231 seats and others on 17, according to the latest Election Commission trends.

In the counting taken up on Tuesday after the marathon seven-phased Lok Sabha election, the states presented contrasting pictures with BJP gaining ground in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh but poised to suffer losses in crucial Hindi heartland states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana.

Some big names from the BJP including Union Minister Smriti Irani, Maneka Gandhi and Ajay Kumar Teni are trailing.

The BJP-led NDA appears far from its target of “400 paar” with BJP falling behind a simple majority in Lok Sabha , according to the latest trends.

The BJP had won a majority on its own in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls. It won 282 seats in 2014 and improved its tally to 303 seats in 2019 elections. The BJP had set a target of winning 370 seats in the 2024 general elections.

The BJP-led NDA, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, fought Lok Sabha elections for a third straight term in office.

AAP, which contested 22 seats, has not done well and is leading in three seats in Punjab. The party is trailing on all seats in the national capital, where it is in power.

The most remarkable story for the opposition is from Uttar Pradesh where the Samajwadi Party belied the prediction of pollsters and is ahead of BJP, according to the latest trends from the Election Commission. While SP is leading on 37 seats in the state, BJP is leading on 32 seats. The Congress, which fought the election in alliance with the Samajwadi Party, has also done better and is leading on eight seats.

BJP is trailing in Faizabad, which includes the temple town of Ayodhya.

BJP did exceedingly well in Odisha in both assembly and Lok Sabha polls. It looks poised to form its first government in Odisha by removing BJD, which has been in power in the state for over two decades under Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The BJP is poised to win 19 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha with Congress and the ruling BJD slated to win one seat each. In assembly polls, the BJP has crossed the halfway mark in trends and is leading in 75 of 147 seats with BJD leading in 55, Congress 15, CPI-M one and independents one.

In Maharashtra, the INDIA alliance parties have given a jolt to the ruling alliance that includes the BJP. The INDIA alliance parties are leading on 30 seats – Congress 12, Shiv Sena (UBT) 11 and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) 7. BJP is leading on 11 seats and its allies – Shiv Sena on five seats and NCP one.

In Haryana also, BJP lost its dominance of the last two Lok Sabha polls and is leading on five seats. Congress is also leading on the other five seats in the state. Both Maharashtra and Harayna will face assembly polls later this year.

In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has given a strong fight to BJP and is leading on 31 seats. The BJP, which won 18 seats in 2019, is leading on 10 seats and Congress on one.

The Congress managed to reduce BJP’s domination in Gujarat, the home state of PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. While the BJP is leading on 23 seats, the Congress is leading on two seats. The BJP has already won the Surat Lok Sabha seat.

Congress did not perform according to its expectations in party-ruled Telangana and Karnataka. But it improved its tally compared to 2019 elections. BJP is leading on 16 seats in Karantaka, Congress on 10 and JD-(S) on two. JD-S is an ally of BJP.

In Telangana, BJP and Congress are leading on eight seats each and AIMIM is leading on one.

Punjab presented a mixed bag with Congress leading on seven, AAP on 3, Shiromani Akali Dal on one and independents on two.

BJP retained its domination in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarkhand and Chhattisgarh.

NDA is poised to do well in Bihar, belying the expectations of the INDIA bloc. It is ahead on 33 of 40 Lok Sabah seats. The RJD could not pull votes in its favour in the way Samajawadi Party did in Uttar Pradesh and is leading on three seats. Congress is ahead on one seat.

DMK maintained its domination in Tamil Nadu and the INDIA bloc almost repeated its performance in the southern state. While the Congress-led UDF maintained its dominance in Kerala, there is good news for BJP as well which is posed to open its Lok Sabha account from the southern state. The BJP is ahead on one seat in the state. Congress is ahead on 14 seats, IUML on 2, CPI-M and RSP on one each.

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INDIA Bloc Challenges NDA, Leads on 226 Seats

Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc has established a comfortable lead in Tamil Nadu. Of the total 39 seats in the state, it is leading on 34 seats while other parties on five…reports Asian Lite News

The BJP-led NDA was leading in 297 constituencies, while the opposition INDIA bloc was ahead in 226 and other parties in 20, as per the latest trends of the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha polls on Tuesday. 

Even as the NDA is far from its ‘Ab ki baar, 400 paar’ target, it is leading in 297 seats and has crossed the magic number of 226.

However, the INDIA bloc is also putting up a fight by establishing a lead on 226 seats.

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is leading in Maharashtra, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim and Andaman and Nicobar.

Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc has established a comfortable lead in Tamil Nadu. Of the total 39 seats in the state, it is leading on 34 seats while other parties on five.

INDIA bloc is leading in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Nagaland. Of the 20 seats in Kerala, the INDIA bloc is leading on 15, NDA on two and other parties on three seats.

In Punjab, of the total 13 seats, the INDIA bloc is leading on nine while other parties are on four seats.

There is neck and neck fight between the INDIA bloc and NDA in Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Manipur

Of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the NDA is leading in 38 seats, INDIA bloc in 41 seats and others on one.

Of the 48 seats in Maharashtra, NDA is ahead on 27 seats while the opposition bloc INDIA on 19 and others on two.

In West Bengal, of the total 42 seats, the INDIA bloc is leading on 24 seats while the NDA is on 18.

In Bihar having 40 LS seats, the NDA is leading on 27 seats while the INDIA bloc on 10 and others on three seats.

Voting was held for 543 Lok Sabha seats over seven phases, which ended on June 1.

The exit polls have predicted more than 350 seats for the NDA.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, NDA had bagged 353 seats while the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance secured just 91 seats.

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Exit polls suggest third term for NDA  

Chandrapur [Maharashtra], Apr 8 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public meeting for the Lok Sabha elections, in Chandrapur on Monday. (ANI Photo)

The most striking takeaways from the exit polls were the massive gains made by the BJP in West Bengal and Odisha, and their emergence in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh…reports Asian Lite News

All major exit polls projected a resounding victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections that concluded on Saturday. According to their projections, the BJP itself is expected to better its 2019 tally of 303 seats and together with allies may even come close to realising its call of “ab ki baar, 400 paar”.

The most striking takeaways from the exit polls were the massive gains made by the BJP in West Bengal and Odisha, and their emergence in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. While they are projected to consolidate their position in Telangana, they are expected to hold on in Karnataka.

It is in Maharashtra and some northern states that the NDA juggernaut is projected to slow down. Exit polls predict that in Maharashtra, the NDA tally of 41 seats in the 2019 polls may come down by as many as 10 seats, but without any big loss to BJP itself. And the Congress-led INDIA bloc is projected to gain in Bihar, Rajasthan and Haryana.

In West Bengal, where the BJP fought a pitched battle with the Trinamool Congress for its 42 seats, exit polls projected anywhere between 21 and 30 seats for the saffron party. While the ABP-CVoter gave the BJP 23-27 seats, India Today-My Axis gave it 26-31 seats. In Odisha, while ABP-CVoter gave the BJP 17-19 seats, India Today-My Axis predicted a clean sweep with 18-20 seats to the BJP.

In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, most exit polls predicted between one and four seats for the BJP. Both India Today-My Axis and ABP-CVoter gave NDA 2-4 seats in Tamil Nadu and between one and three seats in Kerala. In Andhra Pradesh, with 25 seats, the NDA is projected to sweep the polls; YSRCP’s 2019 tally is predicted to fall from 22 to just between 2 and 4 seats. All exit polls predicted huge gain for the TDP with its ally BJP also gaining between four and six seats. In Telangana, too, BJP is expected to improve its tally.

Importantly, in Karnataka, where it recently lost the Assembly polls, the BJP has been able to hold on with minimum losses, according to exit polls. The party had won 25 of 28 seats in 2019. Most exit polls predicted anywhere between 18 and 25 seats for the BJP.

The trend is significant with the BJP having made significant efforts in the last 10 years to make inroads in the southern states, particularly Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to New Delhi after meditating for two days at the Vivekananda Rock in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.

While in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP is expected to improve marginally its 2019 tally of 62; in Bihar, the BJP-JDU combine is expected to lose 6-7 seats, according to exit polls. In Rajasthan, where the BJP has been winning all 25 seats in the past two elections, the INDIA alliance is predicted to make gains of 5-7 seats.

Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are expected to be a clean sweep for the BJP though.

In their overall projection, India-Today-My Axis poll and Today’s Chanakya took the NDA tally to over 400 seats with My Axis predicting 322-340 seats for the BJP and 60-75 seats for the Congress. Axis projected INDIA alliance to get 131-166 seats while Chanakya predicted it to be between 96 and 118.

ABP-CVoter gave NDA 353-383 seats and INDIA 152-182 seats. Jan Ki Baat estimated the ruling alliance may win between 362 seats and 392 seats. The same exit poll estimated 141-161 seats for the INDIA bloc.

INDIA News-D-Dynamics estimated 371 seats for NDA and 125 seats for INDIA alliance. Republic TV-P-Marq poll estimated 359 seats for NDA and 154 seats for the INDIA alliance. Another exit poll of Republic Bharat-Matrize estimated 353-368 seats for NDA and 118-133 seats for INDIA.

The Poll of Polls by television channel NDTV estimated that the BJP-led NDA is getting 358 seats and INDIA alliance getting 148 seats; other parties are protected to get 37 seats.

In 2019, an average of 13 exit polls put the BJP-led NDA’s combined tally at 306 and the Congress-led UPA’s at 120 –underestimating the NDA’s performance, which won 353 seats in all. The UPA got 93. Of these, the BJP won 303, and the Congress 52. Both BJP and Congress had improved their tally in comparison to 2014. However, BJP recorded an increase higher than Congress despite anti-incumbency against candidates on various seats.

In 2014, an average of eight exit polls estimated the BJP-led NDA winning 283 seats and the Congress-led UPA 105 seats. However, riding high on ‘Modi wave’ NDA finished with 336 seats and the UPA got mere 60 seats. Of these, the BJP won 282 and the Congress 44. NDA replaced UPA at the Centre.

In 2009 too, when the UPA came back to power, an average of four exit polls had underestimated the winner’s tally. They gave 195 seats to the UPA and 185 to the NDA. The UPA finally won with 262 seats, the NDA got restricted to 158. Of these, the Congress won 206 seats and the BJP 116.

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‘Poor have become poorer, job opportunities shrunk’

The Himachal Deputy CM said that the aim of Congress is to advance development, provide employment, bring prosperity, and end “dictatorship” in the country…reports Asian Lite News

In a scathing attack against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader Mukesh Agnihotri said that during its regime in the last ten years, the poor have become poorer and the job opportunities have shrunk in the country.

“During the regime of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the poor have become poorer. The country’s economy suffered with the weakening of the Indian rupee. Those who promised to provide employment to 2 crore youth are silent on the unemployment of the youth today,” Agnihotri said while addressing an election campaign rally here in support of Congress candidate Rahul Gandhi.

Mukesh said that the aim of Congress is to advance development, provide employment, bring prosperity, and end “dictatorship” in the country.

“Rahul Gandhi is fighting against dictatorship and is carrying forward his struggle in the interest of the country without any post. Rahul has travelled 4,000 kilometers on foot to express his gratitude to India,” he said.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who enriched a few capitalists, did not take any care of the poor,” he added.

He said that the BJP has lost its senses due to Rahul Gandhi’s campaign.

“From the way BJP has done the campaign based on religion, it is clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become fearful of losing power,” he said.

He alleged that the BJP wants to end the reservation for the socially and economically backward communities.

“Reservation in the country is the contribution of Congress, keeping in mind the interest of every class. The way reservation is being discussed today regarding a particular religion, it is clear that there is turmoil in the BJP. BJP’s intention has been revealed many times that it wants to end reservation,” Agnihotri said.

The Congress, on May 3, announced Rahul Gandhi as a candidate from Raebareli and loyalist KL Sharma from Amethi.

Rahul Gandhi is a sitting MP in Kerala’s Wayanad, where he is seeking a fresh term alongside Rae Bareli. Rahul represented Amethi from 2004 until 2019.

He will face Congress defector and three-time MLC Dinesh Pratap Singh of BJP in Raebareli.

Raebareli constituency goes to the polls on May 20 in the fifth phase. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi won the constituency, bagging 5,34,918 votes. Her closest rival, Dinesh Pratap Singh, put up a formidable challenge, gathering 3,67,740 votes.(ANI)

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BSP, independents threaten NDA, Grand Alliance

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Independents may play spoilsport for BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and RJD-led alliance in Bihar…reports Asian Lite News

During the first and second phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar, Independent candidates in Nawada and Purnea hurt the vote banks of NDA and RJD-led Mahagathbandhan and now candidates of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) may affect these two pivotal political forces in some of the constituencies in the state.

The Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance consists of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Indian National Congress (INC) and Left parties.

Gulab Yadav, the former RJD MLA is contesting on a BSP ticket in the Jhanjharpur Lok Sabha constituency. Sources have said that Gulab Yadav was expecting the ticket of Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) to contest the election. As the party has given the ticket to Suman Mahaseth, Yadav joined the BSP and is in the fray from the Jhanjharpur Lok Sabha constituency.

Gulab Yadav is considered a strong leader of Mithilanchal and has a connect with Yadav voters. Yadav was the RJD candidate in the 2019 Lok Sabha election but he was defeated by JD-U candidate Rampreet Mandal. After that election, Yadav’s relationship with RJD turned sour. He worked hard in Jhanjharpur and Madhubani Lok Sabha constituencies and hoped for a ticket from RJD or VIP till the last moment. As the RJD gave the ticket to Ali Ashraf Fatmi to contest Madhubani and VIP gave the ticket to Suman Mahaseth, he joined BSP.

Gulab Yadav’s daughter Bindu Gulab Yadav is a district council president of Madhubani while his wife Ambika Gulab Yadav won the MLC election as an Independent candidate from Madhubani. His presence in Jhanjharpur may hurt the grand alliance candidate as the Yadavs are the core voters of RJD.

Jahanabad is another seat where two-time MP Prof Arun Kumar is contesting on BSP ticket. Kumar was expecting the ticket from Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) but as the seat went into the quota of JD-U, he resigned from LJP(R) and joined BSP.

Prof Arun Kumar has a stronghold in the Bhumihar caste in the Jahanabad region. As people of the Bhumihar caste are considered core voters of the BJP, his presence as a BSP candidate may hurt the JD-U candidate Chandeshwar Prasad Chandravansi. During the 2019 Lok Sabha election, he got 35000 votes as an Independent candidate.

BSP has some influence in the constituencies connected with the Uttar Pradesh border and it was proved in the 2020 assembly election when Jama Khan won the Chainpur seat on the BSP ticket. Chainpur assembly constituency comes under the Sasaram Lok Sabha constituency. BSP has given the ticket to Santosh Kumar to contest the election from the Sasaram Lok Sabha seat. During the 2019 Lok Sabha election, BSP gave the ticket to Manoj Kumar and he got 86406 votes. In 2014, Baleshwar Bharti of the BSP got around 32000 votes.

Now, Manoj Kumar is contesting on the Congress ticket and BJP has fielded Shivesh Ram in this Lok Sabha election. The contest is turning out interesting as Santosh Kumar is also in the fray on the BSP ticket and may hurt the grand alliance.

“BSP has some vote banks, especially in the constituencies connected with Uttar Pradesh. Sasaram, Karakat, Buxar, Gopalganj and Valmikinagar are some of the constituencies where BSP has some supporters and they may hurt the equations of NDA or grand alliance,” said SP Sharma, a professor of political science at Veer Kunwar Singh University, Bhojpur.

“As far as Gulab Yadav or Arun Kumar are concerned, they have their vote banks in Jhanjharpur and Jahanabad respectively. Arun Kumar was a two-time MP from Jahanabad and is considered as a veteran politician in the region. Both NDA and grand alliance tried hard for the one-to-one contest but it is not practically possible in every seat,” he said.

In Nawada where the election was held in the first phase, Chandan Singh, the current MP contested as an Independent candidate. In 2019, he had won from Nawada on the LJP ticket and joined the RLJP later on. As the seat went into the quota of the BJP, he contested the election as an Independent candidate this time. Chandan Singh is the brother of Bahubali leader Surajbhan Singh and belongs to an upper-caste family.

Pappu Yadav is another Independent candidate who became a challenger for RJD candidate Bima Bharti in Purnea. The election was held in Purnea in the second phase on April 26.

Akhtarul Iman of AIMIM contested the Lok Sabha election from Kishanganj and challenged Congress candidate Mohammad Jawed and JD-U candidate Mozahid Alam.

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