Counting of votes for the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections began at 8am on Thursday. The counting exercise is on in over 4,000 counting centres amid concerns raised by opposition parties over alleged tampering of EVMs. They have asked the Election Commission to ensure transparency in counting. Election Commission officials said results are expected only by late evening.
Most of the exit polls have predicted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is on course to retain power for a second term. However, the opposition parties have trashed results of the exit polls, claiming that the BJP will suffer severe drubbing due to rising unemployment, farm distress and slowdown in the economy.
Out of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, elections were held in 542 constituencies as the EC had cancelled polls to the Vellore constituency on the ground of excessive use of money power.
The Exit Polls have been in favour for the BJP-led NDA, however, the regional parties have prepared themselves to play the King Maker’s role if the results don’t show up the BJP way. Meanwhile, on Tuesday the Centre issued alert to states with the possibility of violence in different parts of the country in connection with the counting of votes.
The alert has been communicated by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to the state Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police, an official said. The counting of votes for the just-held Lok Sabha elections will start on Thursday. The Ministry has asked the states and the Union Territories (UTs) to maintain law and order, peace and public tranquillity.
The states and the UTs were further asked to take adequate measures to safeguard the strong rooms where the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are kept and the venues of counting of votes, the official said. The alert mentioned that it was being issued in the wake of calls given and statements made in various quarters for inciting violence and causing disruption on the day of the counting of votes.
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- 8.30 AM: Congress Parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor trailing in Thiruvananthampuram Mumbai
- 8.20 AM: BJP leads in 97 seats and Congress in 33 seats
- 8 AM: Counting of votes begin
Telangana: Visuals from outside a counting centre in Hyderabad; counting of votes for #LokSabhaElections2019 to begin at 8 am. #ElectionResults2019 pic.twitter.com/Mp550QffXk
— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2019
Punjab: Visuals from outside a counting centre in Jalandhar as counting of votes for #LokSabhaElections2019 to begin at 8 am. pic.twitter.com/5DotoLEWua
— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2019
#Karnataka BJP candidate from Bengaluru South constituency, Tejasvi Surya: I am sure we will win. I am confident I will be able to contribute to legislation and policy making in this country. pic.twitter.com/y944llDFMs
— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2019
#Karnataka: JD(S) Hassan candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy offers prayers at Chamundeshwari Temple in Mysore . #ElectionResults2019 pic.twitter.com/hoqTJ9MsQk
— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2019
