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The Congress appears to be on track to secure over 90 Lok Sabha seats in the ongoing elections, a significant increase from its previous tally of 44 seats in 2014 and 52 in 2019. This marks a potential resurgence for the party, which in 2009, led the United Progressive Alliance to victory with a haul of 206 seats.

As of 12:50 pm, the Congress leads in 94 seats, while the party-led INDIA bloc, formed last year to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, is ahead in 226 seats. Meanwhile, the NDA is leading in 297 seats, swiftly crossing the halfway mark of 272 as the counting process commenced earlier in the day, starting with postal ballots.

In the 2014 elections, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, the Congress faced the formidable challenge of the ‘Modi wave,’ resulting in a staggering loss of 162 seats and a decrease in vote share by nearly 9.3 percent.

This electoral cycle witnessed the emergence of the Hindi heartland as a crucial battleground, where the BJP swept states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh, eventually securing 336 seats nationwide.

Also Read: UP shocker for NDA as INDIA bloc leads defying exit poll prediction

In the subsequent 2019 elections, the BJP extended its lead, winning 303 seats independently and 353 with allies. Once again, the Hindi belt played a pivotal role, with the Congress managing to secure only six seats on its own and seven in alliance with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. However, the most notable setback for the Congress came with Rahul Gandhi’s unexpected defeat in UP’s Amethi constituency, a traditional stronghold.

Looking ahead to the current elections, exit polls paint a varied picture. While some predict a landslide victory for the BJP-led NDA, with projections ranging from 383 to 401 seats, others suggest a more balanced outcome. The INDIA bloc remains determined to challenge the BJP’s dominance, despite facing skepticism from various quarters.

As the counting progresses, the BJP inches closer to its internal target of 370 seats, with the possibility of surpassing the ‘abki baar, 400 paar’ (this time, over 400) target, including its NDA partners’ successes.