New Delhi [India], June 4 (HBTV): The latest trends by the Election Commission on 542 Lok Sabha seats show the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) crossing the halfway mark with the Bharatiya Janata Party leading in 238 seats and winning one seat. The NDA is leading in 295 seats as per trends as reported by the Election Commission.

The INDIA bloc is leading on 230 seats with its ally Samajwadi Party (SP) ahead on 33 seats and Trinamool Congress in 29 seats. Both Rahul Gandhi and PM Narendra Modi are leading from their constituencies of Rae-Bareli and Varanasi, respectively. Rahul Gandhi is also leading in Wayanad. 

In the Hindi heartland state of Uttar Pradesh, the BJP is leading on 35 seats and its ally partner Rashtriya Lok Dal leading in two seats while the Samajwadi party is leading in 34 seats, as per the initial trends by the Election Commission.   

In the 2019 elections, NDA wrested 353 seats, of which the BJP won 303 alone. The Opposition's UPA got only 93 seats of which the Congress got 52. 

Approximately round 642 million people voted in Lok Sabha elections held over seven phases in a mammoth six-week period. The counting of votes began starting with postal ballot papers amid tight security. 

The counting for state legislative assemblies of 175 assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and 147 assembly constituencies in Odisha and results of by-polls in 25 assembly constituencies also began.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is eyeing a third straight term in power, while the Opposition under the umbrella of the INDIA bloc is seeking to wrest power from the ruling party.    

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.  

The Congress party and its allies dismissed the exit polls as "orchestrated" and a work of "fantasy", asserting that the opposition INDIA bloc will form the next government at the Centre.  

Strict security has been put in place for the smooth conduct of counting of votes for over 8,000 candidates in this general election. 

Two polls predicted the BJP would also improve its numbers from the 303 seats it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In the 2019 elections, NDA wrested 353 seats, out of which the BJP won 303 alone. The Opposition's United Progressive Alliance got only 93 seats, out of which the Congress got 52.    

(ANI) This is a syndicated news feed. HBTV has edited it for clarity.