Surat: As the counting of votes progresses for the 18th Lok Sabha elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah takes a significant lead in Gujarat's Gandhinagar constituency with an impressive tally of 6,50,399 votes. According to the latest updates from the Election Commission of India, Shah's total count stands at 8,58,197 votes, while his nearest rival, Congress' Sonam Ranambhai Patel, trails behind with 2,07,798 votes.
In Gujarat, where there are 26 parliamentary seats, BJP is asserting its dominance by leading in 25 constituencies, with Congress ahead in only one. BJP secured an additional win in Surat after the cancellation of the Congress candidate's nomination due to alleged irregularities in the nomination papers.
The BJP is leading in various constituencies across Gujarat, including Ahmedabad East, Ahmedabad West, Amreli, Anand, Bardoli, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Chhota Udaipur, Dahod, Gandhinagar, Junagadh, Kachchh, Kheda, Mahesana, Navsari, Panchmahal, Patan, Porbandar, Rajkot, Sabarkantha, Surendranagar, Vadodara, and Valsad.
Meanwhile, Congress maintains a lead in the Banaskantha constituency.
On a national scale, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has crossed the majority mark in early leads, with the alliance leading in 295 seats out of the 543 contested. BJP alone is ahead in 241 seats, emphasizing its strong position. The opposition coalition, under the umbrella of the INDIA bloc, is leading in 233 seats, with others ahead in 17.
In the 2019 elections, NDA secured a significant victory with 353 seats, while the opposition UPA managed only 93 seats, with the Congress winning 52.
Over 642 million voters participated in the mammoth electoral exercise held over seven phases. Counting began amid stringent security measures, encompassing postal ballots.
Simultaneously, counting for State Legislative Assemblies in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, along with results of by-polls in 25 Assembly constituencies, are being tallied.
The BJP aims for a third consecutive term in power, while the opposition, unified under the INDIA bloc, seeks to challenge the ruling party's supremacy.
Despite exit polls favoring a continued tenure for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress and its allies have dismissed these projections as "orchestrated," maintaining their confidence in forming the next government at the Centre.
The Lok Sabha elections, spanning seven phases, have been a pivotal moment in Indian democracy, with the final results shaping the nation's political landscape.
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