NDA secures simple majority, BJP single largest party with 226 seats so far

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) achieved a simple majority in the Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, securing 273 seats, thus crossing the halfway mark needed to form the government.

The Election Commission (EC) has declared results for 498 seats, with counting still ongoing for the remaining 45 seats. According to the tally available on the EC website, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the largest party, winning 226 seats. 

The BJP's allies also performed well, contributing significantly to the coalition's majority. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal-United (JDU) each won 12 seats, while the Shiv Sena secured 7 seats. Additionally, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), led by Ram Vilas Paswan, won 5 seats. The Janata Dal Secular (JDS) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) each secured 2 seats.

The final results, including the outcomes for the remaining 45 seats, are awaited to confirm the complete picture of the Lok Sabha's composition.