Election Results: NDA Leads In Initial Trends; Rahul Gandhi Trails

New Delhi: Counting of votes for the 542 Lok Sabha seats and for four state Assemblies began this morning, with initial trends suggesting that the BJP-led NDA was leading in about 100 seats. The Congress-led UPA was leading in about 40 seats.

Counting of votes began at 8am, with the counting of postal ballots being taken up first. The trends could change once all EVM machines are unlocked.

In Odisha, the BJD was leading in 10 out of the 146 Assembly seats and the BJP in four seats. Both parties are leading in two seats each out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats. Polling was held simultaneously for both Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in Odisha in four phases.

Here’s who is leading and candidates trailing in Lok Sabha seats across the nation:

• Congress president Rahul Gandhi was trailing in Amethi where Smriti Irani of the BJP had launched a spirited campaign against him. Irani was leading by 5,000 votes.
• DMK candidate Kanimozhi was leading in Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu.
• Actress-turned-politician Urmilla Matondkar was leading in Mumbai North.
• CPI candidate Kanhaiya Kumar was trailing in Begusarai.
• UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was leading in Rae Bareli.
• Actor Sunny Deol, contesting on a BJP ticket, was leading in Gurdaspur.