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| Version 32 | Version 33 |
|---|---|
| BJP 'admits Indian poll defeat' | BJP 'admits Indian poll defeat' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Leaders of India's main opposition BJP have admitted defeat in the general election as counting trends show the ruling Congress alliance well ahead. | Leaders of India's main opposition BJP have admitted defeat in the general election as counting trends show the ruling Congress alliance well ahead. |
| Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said: "We accept this verdict." The Third Front has also conceded the election. | Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said: "We accept this verdict." The Third Front has also conceded the election. |
| Official results are now coming in. The main trends reported by state TV showed Congress ahead in 262 seats, the BJP in 159 and the Third Front in 57. | Official results are now coming in. The main trends reported by state TV showed Congress ahead in 262 seats, the BJP in 159 and the Third Front in 57. |
| Congress supporters have already begun celebrating in Delhi. | Congress supporters have already begun celebrating in Delhi. |
| Rajnath Singh, president of the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, told reporters it had not expected this kind of result. "We will sit together later today, once all the results are out, and analyse what happened," he said. | Rajnath Singh, president of the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, told reporters it had not expected this kind of result. "We will sit together later today, once all the results are out, and analyse what happened," he said. |
| INDIAN ELECTION AT A GLANCE Eligible voters: 714 millionPolling centres: 828,804Voting days: 16, 23, 30 April; 7, 13 MayVote counting: 16 May In pictures: Congress celebrates Elections battleground map class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=6445&edition=2">Send us your comments | |
| Mr Jaitley said: "Something certainly did go wrong... Our performance was not up to expectation." | Mr Jaitley said: "Something certainly did go wrong... Our performance was not up to expectation." |
| Prakash Karat, the leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the key mover in the Third Front, accepted Congress had won. | Prakash Karat, the leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the key mover in the Third Front, accepted Congress had won. |
| "The CPM and the Left parties have suffered a major setback," he said. | "The CPM and the Left parties have suffered a major setback," he said. |
| The BBC's Chris Morris in Delhi says that a small crowd gathered early outside Congress headquarters to celebrate, banging drums and chanting slogans. | The BBC's Chris Morris in Delhi says that a small crowd gathered early outside Congress headquarters to celebrate, banging drums and chanting slogans. |
| Our correspondent says several days of backroom deals still lie ahead but the prospect of a very weak and unstable government has receded. | Our correspondent says several days of backroom deals still lie ahead but the prospect of a very weak and unstable government has receded. |
| Tourism Minister Ambika Soni said it was clear there would be a new five-year tenure for the Congress alliance. | Tourism Minister Ambika Soni said it was clear there would be a new five-year tenure for the Congress alliance. |
| But there has been at least one major setback for Congress. Home Minister P Chidambaram has lost his seat in Tamil Nadu, the Press Trust of India reported. | But there has been at least one major setback for Congress. Home Minister P Chidambaram has lost his seat in Tamil Nadu, the Press Trust of India reported. |
| 'Safe majority' | 'Safe majority' |
| Counting began at 0800 local time (0230 GMT) and with electronic voting machines being used the first trends were quickly available. | Counting began at 0800 local time (0230 GMT) and with electronic voting machines being used the first trends were quickly available. |
| State television Doordarshan said that at 1445 local time across all 543 seats, the Congress alliance was ahead in 262, the BJP coalition in 159 and the Third Front in 57 with others at 65. | State television Doordarshan said that at 1445 local time across all 543 seats, the Congress alliance was ahead in 262, the BJP coalition in 159 and the Third Front in 57 with others at 65. |
| Advertisement | Advertisement |
| The counting should be swift and the results known quickly | The counting should be swift and the results known quickly |
| Congress appears to be doing far better than had been expected, confounding predictions particularly in Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. | Congress appears to be doing far better than had been expected, confounding predictions particularly in Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. |
| Congress alliance spokesman Kapil Sibal told Reuters news agency: "Together with our alliance partners, we will have a safe majority." | Congress alliance spokesman Kapil Sibal told Reuters news agency: "Together with our alliance partners, we will have a safe majority." |
| Left-wing parties appear to be suffering major reverses in West Bengal and Kerala and the party of Dalit leader Mayawati, also in the Third Front, has underperformed in Uttar Pradesh. | Left-wing parties appear to be suffering major reverses in West Bengal and Kerala and the party of Dalit leader Mayawati, also in the Third Front, has underperformed in Uttar Pradesh. |
| The main BJP office in Delhi appeared deserted | The main BJP office in Delhi appeared deserted |
| Senior leftist leader Sitaram Yechury said: "It's the people's verdict." | Senior leftist leader Sitaram Yechury said: "It's the people's verdict." |
| Only a few results have been confirmed so far - they included a win for former UN diplomat Shashi Tharoor for Congress in Kerala's capital, Trivandrum. | Only a few results have been confirmed so far - they included a win for former UN diplomat Shashi Tharoor for Congress in Kerala's capital, Trivandrum. |
| Since polling ended on Wednesday, the two main parties have been involved in a series of political meetings, scrambling to gain pledges of support in a predicted hung parliament. | Since polling ended on Wednesday, the two main parties have been involved in a series of political meetings, scrambling to gain pledges of support in a predicted hung parliament. |
| The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says there had been suggestions that both the Congress and BJP were losing relevance in India, ceding political space to smaller, local parties. | The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says there had been suggestions that both the Congress and BJP were losing relevance in India, ceding political space to smaller, local parties. |
| But this defeat for the BJP's LK Advani should certainly spell the end of his political career, he says. | But this defeat for the BJP's LK Advani should certainly spell the end of his political career, he says. |
| The main thrust of the Congress manifesto has been on economic recovery and boosting growth, while the BJP focused on easing taxation and recovering money illegally stashed abroad. | The main thrust of the Congress manifesto has been on economic recovery and boosting growth, while the BJP focused on easing taxation and recovering money illegally stashed abroad. |
| President's role | President's role |
| Security was tight in a number of areas ahead of the results announcement. | Security was tight in a number of areas ahead of the results announcement. |
| Could Manmohan Singh be set for another term as PM? | Could Manmohan Singh be set for another term as PM? |
| Meetings of five or more people have been banned across Rajasthan and victory processions barred in Uttar Pradesh. | Meetings of five or more people have been banned across Rajasthan and victory processions barred in Uttar Pradesh. |
| After the counting the focus will fall on President Pratibha Patil. | After the counting the focus will fall on President Pratibha Patil. |
| There are no rules in the constitution on who she can invite to form a government. It could be the single largest party or most dominant coalition. She may ask for documented pledges of support. | There are no rules in the constitution on who she can invite to form a government. It could be the single largest party or most dominant coalition. She may ask for documented pledges of support. |
| Turnout for the election has been put at about 60%, compared with 58% in 2004. | Turnout for the election has been put at about 60%, compared with 58% in 2004. |
| Security has so far generally been considered a success, although about 60 people lost their lives, mostly in Maoist violence. | Security has so far generally been considered a success, although about 60 people lost their lives, mostly in Maoist violence. |
| India's new 543-seat parliament, with a new government in place, is supposed to sit by 2 June. | India's new 543-seat parliament, with a new government in place, is supposed to sit by 2 June. |