Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: Will Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu play kingmakers if BJP falls short of 272?

Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: At least 14 per cent votes have been counted till about 11 am as the results keep coming in for Lok Sabha Elections 2024. From the 527 seats for which the trends are available, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was ahead on 283 seats while the opposition INDIA bloc was leading on 221 seats. The others were ahead in 23 seats. 

Based on the trends after two hours of counting, the NDA might end up at below 300 seats. The BJP on its own was leading on 238 seats with a win in one seat. This number is way short of majority mark of 272 in the 543-member Lok Sabha.

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In 2019 general elections, the BJP had won 303 seats alone while the NDA got 353 seats. 

Under these circumstances, Janata Dal United chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu would be key. The BJP government, if it comes to power, will be at the mercy of these two leaders. Clearly Kumar and Nitish can also play kingmakers for both of them have a history switching sides between between the BJP and the Congress. 

The JD-U was leading at 15 of the 40 seats of Bihar while the TDP was leading on 16 of 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh. Both the parties are currently with the NDA but who knows if they switch sides, as they have done in the past.

Nitish Kumar is the Bihar Chief Minister. And Chandrababu Naidu is likely to win Andhra Pradesh Elections held simultaneously with Andhra Pradesh. 

Overall, the BJP-led NDA was leading in about 297 seats while the INDIA bloc's lead crossed 225 seats as counting was underway across 542 seats on June 4.

Also Read: Amit Shah, Gandhinagar Election Results 2024: BJP leader leads by over 2.80 lakh votes

The counting of votes for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 began at 8 am. All eyes are on whether the exit poll predictions will hold ground and Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA comes back to power with a third straight term.

A party or a coalition needs to win at least 272 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats to be in power at the centre. With one seat, Surat already decided in NDA's kitty unopposed, votes for 542 seats will be counted today.