Narendra Modi’s alliance is leading in the Indian general election, but the margin is narrower than expected. According to National Election Commission data, the early vote-counting trends show that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in first place with 38.68% of the votes counted. The BJP-led bloc, called the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), is leading with 294 seats, well short of the landslide predicted in exit polls.
The Congress-led alliance, INDIA, has secured 191 seats so far, defying initial predictions and adding an element of surprise to the election. The BJP’s National Democratic Alliance is leading with 294 seats, above the 272 needed for a lower house parliamentary majority, while the opposition INDIA bloc, led by Rahul Gandhi’s Congress Party, is trailing with 191 seats.
The early trends have caused market fluctuations, with stocks falling and the Indian rupee weakening against the dollar. It’s important to note that these are early trends, and the final results are expected to be more conclusive as the day progresses.
Exit polls had initially projected a big victory for Modi and the BJP, but the actual results seem to be more closely contested. The elections have seen a high turnout, with nearly one billion people registered to vote, a testament to the significance of their participation in the democratic process, and the final voter data is yet to be released.
Overall, the election results indicate a closer contest than initially anticipated, with the outcome likely to be determined as the counting progresses throughout the day.
