In a significant development, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah clinched a pivotal win in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency by an impressive margin of over two lakh votes. Shah triumphed over his main contender, Congress rival Sonal Patel, solidifying his stronghold in the key Gujarat seat.
The counting of votes commenced from 8 am, with BJP demonstrating a commanding lead in 25 out of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat. Particularly noteworthy is the BJP’s earlier unopposed victory in the Surat constituency, where the Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani’s nomination was annulled by the election officer on April 22, citing allegations of “fake signatures of people who signed as witnesses.”
As the vote tallying continues, the BJP is leading in several critical constituencies, including Ahmedabad East, Ahmedabad West, Amreli, Anand, Bardoli, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Chhota Udaipur, Dahod, Junagadh, Kachchh, Kheda, Mahesana, Navsari, Panchmahal, Patan, Porbandar, Rajkot, Sabarkantha, Surendranagar, Vadodara, and Valsad. In contrast, Congress has managed to secure a lead only in the Banaskantha constituency.
On a national level, the excitement continues as early leads indicate that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has surpassed the majority mark. Currently, the BJP is leading in 241 seats, with the broader NDA coalition ahead in 295 seats, greatly surpassing the majority mark of 272 seats. At the same time, the opposition alliance, INDIA bloc, is leading in 233 seats, with other parties holding a lead in 17 seats. Within the INDIA bloc, Congress is leading on 99 seats, while other crucial allies such as the Samajwadi Party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP – Sharad Pawar), Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Aam Aadmi Party are leading on 35, 21, 30, 10, 8, 5, and 3 seats respectively.
Reflecting on the previous 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA secured a staggering 353 seats, with the BJP alone winning 303. Conversely, the Opposition’s United Progressive Alliance (UPA) secured only 93 seats, with Congress winning a mere 52 seats.
. This year, the turn-out was substantial, with around 642 million people casting their votes over seven phases of elections, marking a comprehensive six-week democratic exercise.
The election counting procedures kicked off with the postal ballot papers in the early hours, with stringent security measures in place to ensure a smooth process. Besides the Lok Sabha elections, the counting of votes for State Legislative Assemblies in Andhra Pradesh (175 Assembly constituencies) and Odisha (147 Assembly constituencies) is also underway, including the results of by-polls in 25 Assembly constituencies.
As the BJP aims for a third consecutive term in power, the opposition, united under the INDIA bloc, strives tirelessly to dethrone the ruling party. Despite most exit polls predicting another favorable term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with an optimistic projection of a two-thirds majority for the BJP-led NDA, the Congress party and its allies had dismissed these exit polls as “orchestrated” and imaginary, asserting their belief that the opposition INDIA bloc would emerge victorious and form the next government at the Centre.
The Lok Sabha elections, encompassing 543 seats of the lower house, were conducted across seven phases. This year’s elections have been a testament to the vibrating democratic spirit of India, with both reigning and opposition parties vigorously campaigning to secure people’s mandate.
With inputs from ANI, it is evident that the political scenario of the country is on the brink of a historic chapter, as the votes count comes closer to conclusion. The nation awaits with bated breath as the final results will delineate the political roadmap of India in the coming five years, deciding who will hold the reins of the world’s largest democracy.
As Amit Shah celebrates his victory in Gandhinagar, BJP supporters are hopeful and confident of a sweeping success in Gujarat, reiterating the party’s stronghold and influence in the state. With the majority mark within grasp, the BJP-led NDA coalition appears poised to continue its governance, ensuring another term under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. The final results will be crucial in defining the upcoming political dynamics and governance for the world’s most populous democracy.
