Syed Khalique Ahmed
NEW DELHI—Election results pouring in from different states indicate impressive performance of Opposition INDIA alliance, with its candidates leading over more than half of the Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, politically the most important state in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are contesting from this state.
While PM Modi is reported to be leading against BJP candidate in Varanasi, Rahul Gandhi, the most visible face of the opposition parties, is leading from Raebareli as well as Wayanad(Kerala)
However, trend so far indicate that NDA led by BJP will return to power again.
But, Opposition parties have put up very strong fight as is indicated by their candidates leading over a large number of seats. Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) is leading from Hyderabad in Telangana and Imram Masood (Congress) leading from Saharanpur (UP).
Afzal Ansari is leading from Ghazipur (UP) while BJP’s Smriti Irani is trailing behind Congress from Amethi.
Cricketer Yusuf Pathan, TMC candidate from Bahrampur in West Bengal, is leading.
The most surprising trend is witnessed in UP where INDIA alliance is leading over 40 seats against 39 of BJP, indicating UP voters who had voted en masse to the BJP candidates in 2019, are dissatisfied with NDA government’s performance at the Centre. Ram Temple card, controversies over Gyanvapi mosque and Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura created by radical groups allied to BJP, failed to mobilise voters in favour of BJP in Uttar Pradesh, a state with maximum Lok Sabha seats.
Political experts say that BJP is trailing in UP because of two reasons: Thakur voters abstained from casting their votes because of the rumour about BJP expected to remove Yogi Adityanath, a Thakur himself, from UP chief ministership after the Lok Sabha polls, and Dalit voters shifting to INDIA alliance because of the talks about BJP to abolish reservation by amending the Constitution post 2024 Lok Sabha polls. BSP, a pro-Dalit party has drawn total blank so far in UP because Dalit voters feel that BSP supremo Mayawati has compromised with BJP for personal reasons.
Another surprising thing witnessed in the current trend is BJP making inroads in Southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana where BJP’s alliance partners are leading over majority of Lok Sabha seats and NDA partners leading over two seats in Kerala.
In Karnataka, Where Congress returned to power a few months ago, NDA led by BJP is leading on 17 seats against 11 of the Congress.
In West Bengal, TMC and BJP are having neck to neck fight, indicating how the saffron party has made inroads into the West Bengal by using emotional appeal against Mamata Banerjee.
In Bihar also, NDA is leading over opposition INDIA alliance.
In Rajasthan, BJP is leading but Congress performance is very impressive as it is leading over 11 seats against 13 of the Congress.
In Delhi, BJP is leading over all seven seats.
The details will be updated according to changes in the trend.
Telangana: BJP leading on 8 seats, Congress on 8, AIMIM (Asaduddin Owaisi from Hyderabad) one.
Tamil Nadu : INDIA 36 seats, NDA two seats
Andhra Pradesh: NDA 21, YSRC 4
Kerala: INDIA 16, NDA 2
Karnataka: NDA 21, Congress 7
Bihar: NDA 32, INDIA two seats.
Madhya Pradesh: BJP 29, INDIA 0
West Bengal: TMC 29, BJP 10
Haryana: INDIA 6, BJP 4
Tripura: BJP 2. INDIA 0
DELHI: BJP 7, INDIA 0
Odisha: BJP 19, BJD 1
Maharashtra: INDIA 28, BJP 18
Assam: BJP 10, INDIA 4
Gujarat: BJP 25, Congress 1
Puducherry: Congress 1
Andaman & Nicobar: BJP 1
Rajasthan: BJP 14, Congress 10
Punjab: Congress 7, AAP 3, SAD 1
Chhattisgarh: BJP 19, Congress 1
Jammu and Kashmir: INDIA 2, BJP 2
Nagaland: Congress 1
Mizoram: ZPM 1
Arunachal Pradesh: BJP 2
Uttarakhand: BJP 5, Congress 0
Goa: BJP 1
Sikkim: SKM 1
Nagaland: Congress 1
Chandigarh: Congress 1
Jhakrkhand: NDA 9, INDIA 5
Manipur: Congress 1, NDA 1
