As the vote counting progresses for the 18th Lok Sabha elections, the Bhartiya Janta Party has taken a significant lead with 13 seats in Rajasthan, as reported by the Election Commission of India.
Meanwhile, the Indian National Congress is also making its mark, leading with nine seats. Additionally, smaller parties like the Communist Party of India (Marxist) – CPI(M), Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLTP), and Bharat Adivasi Party have secured one seat each, adding to the diverse political landscape emerging from the election results.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) contested all 25 seats as part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). As per the seat-sharing arrangement within the INDIA bloc, the Indian National Congress contested the polls from 22 seats, with its allies including the Bharat Adivasi Party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)), and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), each contesting from one seat.
Over 642 million people participated in the Lok Sabha elections, spanning seven phases over six weeks. Vote counting commenced, including postal ballots, amid tight security.
This included the State Legislative Assembly counts for Andhra Pradesh (175 constituencies), Odisha (147 constituencies), and 25 Assembly bypolls. With over 8,000 candidates, strict security ensured the smooth conduct of this extensive election, determining the fate of leaders from various political backgrounds.
Two exit surveys indicated that the BJP was expected to enhance its seat count from the 303 seats it secured in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The majority of exit polls forecasted a consecutive term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with several of them suggesting a significant majority for the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
However, the Congress party and its allies criticized the exit polls, labeling them as “staged” and a product of “imagination,” and reiterated their belief that the opposition INDIA coalition would assume power in the upcoming government at the Center.
