Lok Sabha election results: Counting of votes begins

The counting of votes for the 2024 Lok Sabha election is underway.

The counting of postal ballots started first, in accordance with the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961. The counting of votes polled with Electronic Voting Machines will start 30 minutes later.

Polling across 542 parliamentary constituencies was held across seven phases between April 19 and June 1. The Lok Sabha has 543 seats and a party or coalition needs 272 seats to form the government.

Watch: Elections Online – the election results coverage by five independent newsrooms

Polling was not held in the Surat Lok Sabha constituency after the BJP candidate was elected unopposed before the elections in April. This came after the Congress candidate was disqualified by the polling officer and other candidates withdrew their nominations.

The first phase of polling recorded an average turnout of 66.14%, followed by 66.71% in the second phase. There was 65.68% polling in the third phase and 69.16% in the fourth. While the average turnout in the fifth phase was 62.2%, the sixth phase recorded a turnout of 63.37% and the final round saw an estimated 61.6% polling.

The elections were marred by allegations of vote suppression and alleged intimidation of Opposition candidates in some constituencies, divisive campaign speeches by key politicians, incendiary campaign advertisements and instances of post-poll violence in some regions.

In the 2019 general election, the BJP had won 303 seats on...

Read more