TNI Bureau: Counting of votes is underway for the 542 Lok Sabha seats in India.
BJP is leading at 236 Lok Sabha constituencies (1 won) while Indian National Congress (INC) is leading in 97, Samajwadi Party (SP) 33, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) 29, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) 20, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) 16, Janata Dal (United) – JD(U) 15, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackrey) – SHSUBT 11, AAP 3.
BJP received its biggest jolt in UP and West Bengal. Out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh the BJP-led NDA is leading in 35 Lok Sabha seats and INDIA bloc parties SP in 34 and Congress was leading in 8 seats, respectively.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav were leading from the Varanasi, Lucknow, Rae Bareli and Kannauj Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, respectively.
According to the EC, Union Ministers Smriti Irani (BJP), Anupriya Patel (Apna Dal (S)) and senior BJP leader Maneka Gandhi were trailing in the Amethi, Mirzapur and the Sultanpur seats, respectively.
In West Bengal, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) holds strong with lead in 28 seats, BJP up at 10, Congress is leading in 2 seats and CPI(M) in 1.
As per Election Commission of India website, Congress’s Kishori Lal Sharma is leading while Smriti Irani now trailing by 23,000 votes.