Elections
Lok Sabha elections: Trends showing biggest repeat mandate for BJP since 1971
Srinagar: The BJP appeared set for a resounding comeback on Thursday with leads in 342 seats , according to trends available with the Election Commission for 495 of 542 Lok Sabha seats.
This will be the biggest repeat mandate since the win of Indira Gandhi in 1971.
All the big leaders of the BJP are leading in their respective constituencies. Television channels showed the BJP surging ahead with leads in more than 320 seats.
As the trends came in, pointing to another tenure of Narendra Modi as prime minister, there were reports of celebrations in the BJP’s party offices across the country.
The trends of the ruling party’s leads were in sync with the exit polls, most of which predicted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would be on course to retain power for a second term.
In 2014, the BJP won 282 seats, leaving the Congress with an all-time low of 44 seats against the 206 it won in 2009.
The counting exercise is on in over 4,000 counting centres amid concerns raised by opposition parties over alleged tampering of EVMs. They have asked the Election Commission to ensure transparency in counting.
Election Commission officials said results are expected only by late evening.
