NEW DELHI: The counting of votes for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections started at 8 am today, with the nation eagerly watching to see if the exit poll predictions hold true, allowing Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to secure a historic third consecutive term.
A party or coalition needs to win at least 272 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats to form the government. With one seat already secured unopposed in Surat, votes for the remaining 542 seats are being counted today.
In West Bengal’s Krishnanagar seat, Trinamool Congress’s Mahua Moitra is leading by over 46,868 votes against BJP’s Amrita Roy. Moitra, seeking re-election, has so far garnered 379,429 votes, while Roy has received 332,561 votes. In the 2019 elections, Moitra had won with 614,872 votes. The Krishnanagar constituency, which includes seven assembly seats, had 11 candidates in the fray this year. The constituency voted on May 13, 2024.
In Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukkudi constituency, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi is leading with a significant margin of 187,250 votes. Kanimozhi, the daughter of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, began her political career in 2007 and has been a member of several key parliamentary committees. She had won the 2019 elections with 56.81% of the votes. Thoothukkudi constituency, which includes six assembly segments, recorded a voter turnout of 70.93% this year, slightly higher than the previous election.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri constituency, Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav is presently leading with 355,141 votes. Dimple Yadav, the wife of former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, gave a tough fight to BJP’s Jaiveer Singh. Her lead adds to the Samajwadi Party’s tally as the counting progresses.
Similarly, the electoral battleground of Baramati in Maharashtra is witnessing a gripping showdown in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Supriya Sule of NCP, a seasoned three-time MP and daughter of political heavyweight Sharad Pawar, is currently leading the charge with a substantial margin of 17,331 votes against her contender, Sunetra Pawar, the spouse of Ajit Pawar, as reported by the Election Commission of India’s latest update. Initially, Sunetra Pawar held sway during the postal ballot count, but the tides shifted dramatically as the Electronic Voting Machines were scrutinized, propelling Sule into the lead by approximately 6,000 votes at the conclusion of the initial round.
This high-stakes face-off has become emblematic of familial and political alliances, as Ajit Pawar’s alignment with the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition has added layers of significance to the contest. The relentless campaigning efforts by both Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar underscore the strategic importance of Baramati in shaping the political landscape of Maharashtra. With 24 rounds of counting yet to unfold, the battle for Baramati promises to captivate observers until the final verdict is delivered
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections, held in seven phases starting from April 19, are crucial for the BJP, which is seeking a rare third term with Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. As vote counting continues, the final results will determine the political landscape of India for the next five years.