Sharad Pawar dismisses speculations of him dialing JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar amid counting

MUMBAI : National Congress Party (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar rubbished the speculations that he had reached out to Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar on Tuesday as counting of votes in the Lok Sabha elections is underway.

During a press conference in Maharashtra’s Mumbai, Sharad Pawar said that he has not spoken with anyone yet.

The speculations came as the ruling BJP-led NDA is leading on around 292 seats and the opposition coalition, INDIA bloc, is leading on 235 seats. The BJP-led coalition has crossed the majority mark of 272 required to form a government while the INDIA bloc would need at least 42 seats to entertain hopes of coming to power.

As per the latest numbers issued by the Election Commission of India, BJP won 30 seats and is leading on 211 seats. The Congress won 7 seats and is leading on 92 seats. JD(U) which is in alliance with the BJP is leading on 12 seats.

In the counting taken up on Tuesday after the marathon seven-phased Lok Sabha election, the states presented contrasting pictures with BJP gaining ground in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh but poised to suffer losses in crucial Hindi heartland states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana.

Mumbai | Over speculations on social media of him speaking to JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar, NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar says “I have not spoken with anyone yet.” pic.twitter.com/TbysLkmAac

— ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2024

Some big names from the BJP including Union Minister Smriti Irani, Maneka Gandhi, and Ajay Kumar Teni are trailing.

The latest numbers as per Election Commission data are Samajwadi Party (36), All India Trinamool Congress (31), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (29), Telugu Desam Party (16), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackrey) (10), Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar (7), Shiv Sena (6), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (5), Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (4), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (4), Rashtriya Janata Dal (3), Indian Union Muslim League (3), Aam Aadmi Party (3), Janasena Party (2), Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) – (2), Janata Dal (Secular) – JD(S) (2), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (2), Communist Party of India (2), Rashtriya Lok Dal – RLD (2), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (2) and Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (2).

Most exit polls predicted a straight term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with quite a few of them projecting a two-thirds majority for the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). (ANI)