PM Modi Thanks Trump, Rahul Gandhi for Best Wishes After Victory
Catch all the live updates of 2019 Lok Sabha election results here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, 23 May came back to power after a landslide victory, with the NDA securing more than 350 seats. After he retained his office, Modi promised to devote "every moment" of his time and "every fibre" of his being for the people of India and said the country will now have only two castes – the poor and those who want to alleviate poverty.
"People are chanting Modi, Modi. But this is not a victory of Modi, it is the victory of people who are desperate for honesty in the system," Modi said.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who was contesting from two seats lost his stronghold seat of Amethi to Smriti Irani but won the Wayanad seat he contested from. Gandhi congratulated the NDA and PM Narendra Modi on the massive victory.
- With NDA winning more than 350 seats, PM Modi is set for a second term as Prime Minister
- Rahul Gandhi won his Wayanad seat, but fell short of about 55,000 votes short of Smriti Irani in Amethi
(Catch all the live updates on 2019 Lok Sabha results here. For updates on Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and South of India, follow The Quint.)
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Who is Likely to Play Kingmaker?
If the BJP might fall short of the majority then three regional parties that can play kingmaker are: YSR Congress President Jagan Mohan Reddy, Telangana Chief Minister and TRS Chief K Chandrashekhar Rao and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik.
Reddy is fighting the elections on the plank of giving special status to Andhra Pradesh. His first fight in his state is against Chandrababu Naidu. The BJP is also fighting to build a presence in Andhra. Thus with the promise of giving special status to Andhra Pradesh, Reddy can ally with the BJP.
Telangana CM KCR has advocated for a third front and has projected himself as an anti-BJP and anti-Congress leader. But KCR might ally with the BJP on the pretext of getting money from the Centre for the welfare of the state.
It is a little difficult to gauge the mood of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who has maintained his distance from the BJP calling it a communal party. But when it comes to opposing, he usually settles for the middle ground.
Lok Sabha Elections 2019: What Has Happened So Far?
The 2019 Lok Sabha elections are one of the most bitterly fought polls which were contested between April and May.
Voting commenced on 11 April and came to an end on 19 May across 542 constituencies, marked by controversial speeches across the political spectrum, questions raised over EC’s functioning and reports of intermittent violence, especially in West Bengal.
The key states to look out for are Uttar Pradesh, with its 80 seats; Maharashtra, with 48 seats; West Bengal, with 42 seats; and Bihar, with 40 seats.
A three-cornered contest is being witnessed in UP, with the BJP taking on the Mahagathbandhan (SP+BSP+RLD) and the Congress. In Maharashtra, the Congress-NCP combine is fighting the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance.
Trying to make inroads into West Bengal, the BJP is locked in a bitter contest with the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress in the state.
In Bihar, the RJD-Congress alliance (along with other smaller parties) is fighting the NDA coalition comprising Nitish Kumar's JD(U), BJP and Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP.
EC Refused to Change the Counting Process
The Election Commission on Wednesday refused to make any changes to the counting process as demanded by the Opposition parties on Tuesday in a meeting with the commission.
The Opposition parties had demanded the tallying of VVPATs with EVMs before the counting process.
MHA Alerts States Over Possible Violence Ahead of Counting Day
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sent an alert to State Chief Secretaries and Director General’s of Police, about the possibility of violence in different parts of the country relating to the counting of votes, ANI reported. The MHA has asked the states and UTs to maintain law and order, peace and public tranquility.
States/UTs were also asked to take adequate measures for the security of strong rooms and venues of counting of votes.
Matching VVPAT Slips Likely To Delay Election Results
Counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections, in which over 8,000 candidates were in the fray for 542 seats, will begin at 8 am and results are expected only by late evening, due to tallying of voter verified paper audit trail slips with Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) count for the first time.
67.11 percent of the 90.99 crore electors had cast their vote in the seven phase elections. This is the highest ever-voter turnout in Indian parliamentarian elections.
This is for the first time in a Lok Sabha election that results of voting machines will be matched with slips generated by paper trail machines.
'Verdict Will Make BJP's Arrogance Disappear', Says Akhilesh Yadav
Activity Begins Outside Counting Centres
I Am Sure We Will Win, Says BJP's Tejasvi Surya
BJP candidate from Bengaluru South constituency Tejasvi Surya exudes confidence, says we will win.
“I am sure we will win. I am confident I will be able to contribute to legislation and policy making in this country,” says Surya.
Rahul Gandhi Will Be the PM, Says Cong's Ajay Maken
Minutes before the counting begins, Congress’ candidate from New Delhi Ajay Maken says that the grand old party will win and form the government.
“The results will be definitely be in the favour of Congress. We are expecting that Congress will win and form government. Rahul Gandhi will be the prime minister. The fight in Delhi is between BJP and Congress.”
Counting of Votes for 542 Constituencies Started at 8 am
Live Election Results: Counting of votes for the 17th Lok Sabha started at 8 am on Thursday, 23 May and the results are expected by late in the evening.
Workers Offer Prayers Outside AICC Office in Delhi
Home Minister Rajnath Singh Leading in Lucknow
Home Minister Rajnath Singh is leading in initial trends. Samajwadi Party’s Poonam Sinha is his main contender.
BJP's Kummanam Rajasekharan Leading in Thiruvananthapuram
As of 8:28 am, BJP candidate Kummanam Rajasekharan is leading in Thiruvananthapuram. Congress’ Shashi Tharoor is the sitting MP and Congress’ candidate from the state.
Activity Outside BJP Office in Lucknow
The Quint’s Vikrant Dubey reports from outside the BJP office in Lucknow.
Rahul Gandhi Trailing Smriti Irani in Amethi
Congress President Rahul Gandhi is trailing BJP’s Smriti Irani in Amethi seat. However, he is leading in the Wayanad seat.
BJP's Pragya Thakur Leading Against Digvijaya Singh in Bhopal
BJP candidate Pragya Thakur is leading against Digvijaya Singh in Bhopal.
PM Narendra Modi Leading in Varanasi
Prime Minister and BJP candidate Narendra Modi is leading in Varanasi. His main contenders are Congress’ Ajay Rai and Mahagathbandhan’s Shalini Yadav.
Delhi BJP Headquarters Exhibit Positivity
Took the Lead From Start and Holding on to It, Says Shashi Tharoor
As the early trends suggested that the sitting MP and Congress candidate Shashi Tharoor is leading from Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor took to Twitter to welcome the news but with a little caveat that just “4% of the votes” have been counted.
Markets Open at Record Highs as NDA Leads in Over 250 Seats
Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty S&P BSE Sensex and the NSE Nifty 50 opens at record highs as the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance takes lead in early trends.
Close Contest in Raebareli
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is leading by a very thin margin in Raebareli. She is against BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh.
Rajnath Singh Leading in Lucknow With 17,994 Votes
Home Minister Rajnath Singh is leading in Lucknow with 17,994. SP candidate Poonam Sinha is trailing with 7,226.
DMK-Congress Cadres Celebrate Outside DMK Headquarters in Chennai
Union Minister RS Prasad Leading in Patna Sahib
BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad is leading against the Congress’ Shatrughan Sinha in the Patna Sahib constituency.
BJP Leading in 22 Seats in Karnataka
As per the early trends, BJP is leading in 22 of the 28 seats in Karnataka.
BJP Crosses 2014 Numbers, Leading in 285 Seats
As per the early trends, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA is leading in more than 300 Lok Sabha seats, while the UPA is ahead in 91 constituencies.
The BJP has crossed its 2014 mark and is currently leading in 285 seats.
BJP's KC Patel Leading Against Jitubhai Harjibhai in Valsad
BJP’s KC Patel leading by a margin of 58,766 against Congress’ Jitubhai Harjibhai in Valsad.
Historically, Valsad has been a bellwether seat, which means whoever wins Valsad goes on to form the government.
BJP-Shiv Sena Leading in All Six Seats of Mumbai
BJP and Shiv Sena are leading in all six seats of Mumbai.
Sensex Crosses 40,000 Mark as BJP Leads in Over 280 Seats
Sensex breaches 40,000 marks, Nifty tops 12,000 for the first time as the BJP-led NDA took lead in early trends.
Pragya Thakur Celebrates as the Early Trends Hint Towards Her Victory
BJP candidate Pragya Thakur is leading by a margin of over 27,000 votes in Bhopal.
Numbers in Line With Exit Polls' Prediction, Says BJP's Nalin Kohli
Speaking to The Quint, BJP Spokesperson Nalin Kohli said that initial trends are very positive and the numbers seem to be in line with what the exit polls had predicted.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Leaves From Rahul Gandhi's Residence
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra leaves from Congress President Rahul Gandhi's residence in Delhi.
Congress Leading in 8 seats; SAD, BJP in 2 each, AAP in 1
Congress is leading in eight seats in Punjab while the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are leading in two seats each. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is currently ahead in one seat.
Jyotiraditya Scindia Trailing in Guna
Amit Shah Leading in Gandhinagar by Over 2 Lakh Votes
BJP President and Gandhinagar candidate Amit Shah is leading in Gandhinagar by a margin of 2,45,806 votes.
CM Kumaraswamy's Son Trailing in Mandya
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumaraswamy is trailing in Mandya.
BJP Parliamentary Board Meeting Today; Modi to Meet Workers
BJP parliamentary board meeting will be held later today and PM Modi will meet BJP workers at 5.30 pm.
Odisha Assembly Results: BJD Leading in 92 Seats
Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is leading in 92 of the 147 seats in Odisha.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter to congratulate Patnaik.
Cong's Ratan Singh Suffers Heart Attack at Counting Centre in MP
Congress party’s Sehore district President Ratan Singh passed away after he suffered a heart attack at a counting centre, reported Time of India.
Gujarat Voted for Modi's Leadership, Says CM Rupani
Sri Lankan PM Congratulates PM Modi
Want to Thank People of India, Says Himanta Sarma
As the trends suggest a landslide victory for the BJP, Himanata Sarma said, “People of India have once again given PM Modi a chance to lead the country, they love him. I would like to thank the people of India, especially people of North-East for supporting Modi. I want to assure people that he will take us forward.”
AAP Congratulates Narendra Modi
Mehbooba Mufti Concedes Defeat in Anantnag
Amit Shah Congratulates Modi
BJP party President Amit Shah took to Twitter to congratulate PM Modi and thank the citizens of the country.
Congratulations to BJP For a Resounding Victory, Says Dinesh Gundu Rao
India Wins Yet Again, Tweets PM Modi
Nepal PM Oli Congratulates PM Modi
Prime Minister of Nepal K P Sharma Oli congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi over 2019 Lok Sabha election results.
Afghanistan Prez Ghani Congratulates Modi
Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani congratulated PM Natendra Modi on a “strong mandate.”
“Congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a strong mandate from the people of India. The government & the people of Afghanistan look forward to expanding cooperation between our two democracies," tweeted Ghani.
Putin Calls PM Modi to Congratulate Him
Russia's President Vladimir Putin calls Prime Minister Narendra Modi to congratulate him over the 2019 Lok Sabha election victory.
Smriti Irani Extends Lead in Amethi by Over 14,000 Votes
Smriti Irani extends her lead over Rahul Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi by over 14,000 votes.
Congratulate PM Modi, Amit Shah For This Victory: Yogi Adityanath
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated PM Modi and Amit Shah for leading BJP to victory.
“I want to congratulate Prime Minister Modi for this victory. BJP is touching 300 mark for the first time and NDA is touching 350. I also congratulate the party President Amit Shah,” said Adityanath to ANI.
'Accept People's Decision,' Says Sharad Pawar
NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, reacting to the Lok Sabha results, said that he accepted people’s decision. However, he added that there were doubts about EVMs.
“I accept people's decision but this is also a fact that people had their doubts about EVMs. Congress had performed really well in Rajiv Gandhi's time. But nobody doubted elections then, same when Atal Bihari Vajpayee won,” said Pawar to ANI.
PM Modi, BJP Chief Amit Shah Reaches Party HQ in Delhi
PM Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah arrived at party headquarters in New Delhi, other top party leaders also present.
Rahul Extends Lead in Wayanad By Over 7 Lakh Votes
Congress President Rahul Gandhi leading with over 7,90,000 votes from Kerala's Wayanad.
PM Modi Congratulates Naveen 'Babu' & Jagan for Their Wins
PM Narendra Modi congratulated BJD Chief Naveen Patnaik and YSR Congress’ Jagan Mohan Reddy for winning the assembly elections in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh respectively.
‘BJP’s Win Unprecedented, Credit to Modi Shah,’ Says Advani
BJP patriarch LK Advani wished both Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for steering BJP towards “unprecedented victory.”
“Heartiest congratulations to Narendrabhai Modi for steering BJP towards this unprecedented victory in elections. Amitbhai Shah as BJP President & all dedicated workers of the party have put in enormous effort in making sure that BJP's message reaches every voter,” said Advani, reported ANI.
'PM Modi Belongs to The Country,' Says Gadkari After BJP's Likely Majority
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not belong to any party but to the entire country.
“Prime Minister is not of any party, he is of the country; it was wrong to call him "thief", said Gadkari.
'Hoped to Wrest Amritsar Seat, Accept Verdict,' Says Hardeep Puri
PM Modi Leading Varanasi Seat by 4.09 Lakh Votes
BJP's Jay Panda Trailing by 45,000 Votes in Odisha
BJP's Jay Panda trailing by 45,027 votes from Odisha's Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency.
Will Correct Mistakes & Strengthen Party: Mallikarjun Kharge
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said that his party will correct their mistakes and strengthen it.
“We accept the result in Gulbarga, the verdict that people gave us, we are accepting it. We believe in democracy. We will discuss how to correct our mistakes and how to strengthen the party,” said Kharge.
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe Congratulates Modi
Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a telephonic conversation.
'Neither Lovely Nor Atishi,' Tweets Gambhir After Massive Lead
Union Cabinet, Council of Ministers to Meet Tomorrow
Union Cabinet meeting to be held on Friday, 24 May, following the results of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Council of Ministers will also meet on Friday.
Bangladesh PM Hasina Congratulates PM Modi
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina has sent a congratulatory message to PM Narendra Modi.
'Chowkidar Chor Hai Hasn't Failed,' Rajeev Shukla to The Quint
Raj Thackeray Reacts to Results, Says 'Beyond Rationale'
Scindia Trails From Madhya Pradesh's Guna by Over 1 Lakh Votes
Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia trailing from Guna, Madhya Pradesh by 1,26,082 votes.
'Looking Forward to Working With PM Modi,' Says Pakistan PM Imran Khan
Pakistan Prime Minister Iran Khan congratulated Narendra Modi over his Lok Sabha election victory and said that he was looking forward to working with him for peace and prosperity in South Asia.
'Salute Every BJP Karyakarta,' Tweets PM Modi
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Congratulates Modi
Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan congratulates PM Narendra Modi over BJP’s massive win in Lok Sabha elections.
Sumalatha Leading in Mandya, Nikhil Kumaraswamy Trailing
Independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh leading with 1,26,436 votes from Mandya in Karnataka, while CM HD Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil is trailing.
Pragya Thakur Wins Bhopal Seat
Sonia Gandhi Retains Raebareli Seat, Beats BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh
BJP's Babul Supriyo Edges Past TMC's Moon Moon Sen, Wins Asansol
Congratulate Smriti Irani, Hope She Serves Amethi With Love: Rahul Gandhi
Congress President Rahul Gandhi congratulated BJP and PM Narendra Modi on landslide victory in Lok Sabha elections.
He added that the Congress party’s fight was ideologically-driven, and asked the party workers to not be “afraid.”
Gandhi also congratulated Smriti Irani on winning Amethi seat and said that he hoped that she will “lovingly serve” the people of the constituency.
Congratulate PM Modi, BJP workers: Priyanka Gandhi
“We accept people's verdict and congratulate PM Modi, BJP workers,” said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress General Secretary for UP East.
Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Offer to Resign’ Not True, Congress Clarifies
“Reports of Congress President Rahul Gandhi offering resignation are incorrect,” clarified the party’s Randeep Singh Surjewala.
When asked on fixing responsibility for loss, Rahul Gandhi said, "This is between my party and I.”
PM Modi Removes 'Chowkidar' From Handle
Rajnath Singh, Varun Gandhi & Hema Malini Win Big
Gadkari's Flight to Delhi Diverted Due to Bad Weather
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's Nagpur-Delhi flight diverted to Lucknow due to bad weather.
'Not EVM, But Hindu Minds Have Been Rigged,' Says Asaduddin Owaisi
AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi responded 2019 Lok Sabha elections claiming that the Hindu mind has been “rigged.”
“Election Commission must show their independence, I believe VVPATs should be 100% (100 per cent matching of VVPAT slips with the Voting Machines). EVM ki rigging nahi hui hai, Hindu mind ki rigging ho chuki hai,” said Owaisi.
Look Forward to Working With PM Modi for Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal
'Thank You, Wayanad For Electing Me as Your MP,' Tweets Rahul Gandhi
Modi, Shah Celebrate Landslide Victory With BJP Workers
'Verdict Against People's Expectations & Sentiments,' Reacts Mayawati
Reacting to the 2019 Lok Sabha results, BSP Chief Mayawati said that the mandate was against the expectations and sentiments of the people.
“Anyway, when all the institutions of the country start bending their knees before the government, the public has to take a stand,” said Mayawati.
This is Victory of PM Modi’s Popularity: Amit Shah at BJP HQ
"This is a victory of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. This is a victory of Narendra Modi's governance", said Amit Shah after landslide victory for the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
He added that after 50 years someone has won an absolute majority, for the second time in a row.
“If Chandrababu Naidu had worked so hard in getting votes as he did in stitching alliances, perhaps he would have been able to open his account,” said Shah, taking a dig at his former ally.
Resounding Victory, Says MK Stalin After Sweeping TN
DMK President MK Stalin, whose party swept the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, thanked the people for “resounding victory.”
'Will Increase Might in West Bengal,' Says Shah
Commenting on the BJP increasing it’s tally in West Bengal, Amit Shah said that his party will only establish more might in the coming days.
“Even after so much violence and rigging, BJP won 18 seats in West Bengal. It tells that in coming days, BJP will establish its might in West Bengal,” said Shah.
Former PM Deve Gowda Loses From Tumkur
Former PM and JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda loses from Karnataka’s Tumkur by 13,339 votes.
I Bow to 130 Cr Indians: PM Modi After BJP’s Landslide Victory
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the BJP workers, after a landslide victory for his party, said that even the rain Gods have joined them in celebration. He also “dedicated” his victory to the 130 crore Indians.
Sunny Deol Wins Gurudaspur by Over 82,000 Votes
Actor-turned-politician and BJP candidate from Gurdaspur, Sunny Deol, wins by 82,459 votes.
TMC Has Lost Moral Right to Continue in Office: BJP's Bengal Chief Dilip Ghosh
Lok Sabha poll results have sounded the death knell for Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal and Mamata Banerjee's party has lost the moral right to continue in office, BJP's state chief Dilip Ghosh said Thursday.
In a dig, he said the TMC supremo should no longer dream of becoming prime minister, rather she should be concerned about saving her chief minister's chair.
"The people of Bengal has given a verdict against TMC and its misrule in Bengal. The TMC has lost the moral right to continue in office. The people want to get rid of this government," Ghosh said.
Nikhil Kumaraswamy Loses Mandya to Sumalatha
In a huge embarrassment to Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, his son Nikhil was defeated by multi-lingual actress and independent candidateSumalatha Ambareesh by 1,25,876 votes in Mandya Lok Sabha constituency, that saw a bitterly contested campaign.
While Sumalatha got 7,03,660 votes, Nikhil secured 5,77,784 votes, poll officials said here Thursday.
Chandrababu Naidu Wins From Kuppam in Andhra's Assembly Polls
Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu won the Kuppam Assembly seat by a margin of 30,722 votes against his YSR Congress rival K Chandramouli, the Election Commission announced Thursday night.
In 2014, his margin of victory against the same rival was 47,121 votes.
PM Modi 'Thanks' Imran Khan for Congratulatory Message
Great Things in Store for US-India Partnership: Donald Trump on Modi's Win
Dimple Yadav Trailing by 1,01,99 Votes From UP's Kannauj
Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav is trailing by 1,01,99 votes from Kannauj, behind BJP’s Subrat Pathak.
Manoj Tiwari Wins North East Delhi by 3,66,102 Votes
BJP North East Delhi candidate Manoj Tiwari defeated Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit by 3,66,102 votes and BJP North West Delhi candidate Hans Raj Hans wins by 553897 votes.
PM Modi Thanks Trump, Says Looking Forward for Closer Ties
Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi thanked US President Donald Trump, who wished Modi for his victory in the Lok Sabha elections, making way for his second term as PM.
PM Modi said that he is looking forward for closely working with Trump for closer bilateral ties, which will also augur well for global peace and prosperity.
PM Modi Thanks Rahul Gandhi for Best Wishes Over Victory
PM Modi thanked Congress President Rahul Gandhi, his rival during this election for his best wishes on the victory on his twitter. “Thank you, Rahul Gandhi for your good wishes,” the PM said.
Jayant Sinha Wins Hazaribagh by 4.7 Lakh Votes
'Happy That Amethi Has Shown Faith in Us, Thankful': Smriti Irani
Union Minister Smriti Irani, after her victory in Amethi constituency over Congress President Rahul Gandhi, said that she is happy that the people have expressed their faith in her and her party. She also said that se has been working with the people of Amethi since the past five years and now she’ll get to serve them again, just this time as their MP.
She also said that she is happy that Rahul Gandhi expressed his confidence in PM Modi, ahead of the latter’s second term as Prime Minister.
CWC to Meet Saturday After Defeat in Lok Sabha Polls
After facing a defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) is expected to meet on Saturday, 25 May in Delhi, news agency ANI reported citing sources.