with full majority

After Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, Narendra Modi is the third prime minister of the country who has been able to retain power for a second term with full majority in Lok Sabha.

As counting goes on across the country on Thursday, trends show the Modi-led BJP would be easily able to cross the halfway mark of 272 seats in the 17th Lok Sabha elections.

In 2014, the BJP had won 282 seats out of total 543 in Lok Sabha.

Jawaharlal Nehru won around three-fourth of the Lok Sabha seats in the first elections in the country during 1951-52. Subsequently, he was able to win 1957 elections as well as 1962 elections with full majority.

Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath must resign, says BJP

“The BJP is leading on 28 ofand justice, electronics and information and technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the people of his constituency in Patna Sahib had given Prime Minister Narendra Modi a decisive mandate that was in sync with the wave blowing across the state and the country.

Prasad, a first-time Lok Sabha candidate of the BJP from Patna Sahib, defeated Shatrughan Sinha, who crossed over to the Congress after two successive wins in 2009 and 2014.

Speaking to newspersons, Prasad said the fight in Patna Sahib was one of “hope” versus “opportunism”.

“On one hand, there was hope that the country would progress and flourish under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. On the other hand, was an opportunistic alliance of political parties, which made up the Grand Alliance (GA),” he said.

4:16 pm IST

Mehbooba Mufti concedes