Lok Sabha Election results 2019 Live Updates:  Proving the exit polls right, the BJP-led NDA government is returning to power with a thumping majority. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has conceded defeat, and Narendra Modi addressed BJP workers at the party headquarters in New Delhi acknowledging the public mandate after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. NDA tally has crossed the 350 mark to retain power.

Polling on 542 seats to elect the 17th Lok Sabha took place in a mega seven-phase general elections that started on April 11 and ended on May 19.

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Around 67 per cent of the nearly 900 million eligible people exercised their franchise to elect 542 MPs from a total of 8,049 candidates.

For the first time in general elections, the Election Commission of India has decided to tally the vote count on Electronic Voting Machines with voter verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips at five polling stations in each Assembly segment of a Lok Sabha constituency. Out of the nearly 10.3 lakh polling stations, the EVM-VVPAT tallying will take place in 20,600. If there is a mismatch, the results based on paper slip count will be considered final.

This exercise will take an additional four to five hours, according to EC officials.

READ | Verdict 2019: Crucial seats to watch out for

In 2014, the BJP had won 282 seats while the Congress had to content with an all-time low of 44 seats as against the 206 it won in 2009. As a result, it failed to fulfil the criterion of enjoying 10 per cent of the total House strength to be able to install its Leader of the Opposition. An entire term just passed by without a Leader of the Opposition as no other party fitted the bill either.

According to the Election Commission of India, the voting percentage of 67.11 was the highest ever in the history of Lok Sabha elections. Of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, elections were held in 542 as the polls to the Vellore constituency had been cancelled on the ground of excessive use of money power. A new date has not been announced yet.

READ | Verdict 2019: Former Chief Ministers contesting Lok Sabha elections and their chances

Among the key candidates who contested the polls are Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union ministers, BJP chief Amit Shah, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Also among the candidates are several former chief ministers who are trying their luck.

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