The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance was surging ahead in two southern states -- Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka -- while the respective blocs led by the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu and Congress in Kerala were on their way for another excellent show, going by the latest trends emerging from the counting of voted polled in the just concluded Lok Sabha polls.
As part of its southern focus, the BJP had invested much pride and hard work to net as much as possible from the 131 seats on offer from the fiver southern states -- Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and the two UTs of Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
According to the latest EC update, BJP was leading in 18 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka while its ally Janata Dal-Secular was ahead in three. The ruling Congress's nominees were leading in seven seats.
Among the key candidates that were ahead of their rivals were suspended JD-S MP Prajwal Revanna, arrested recently by the police over allegations of sexually abusing several women, with his purported act also being filmed.
In Andhra Pradesh, the NDA was leading in 21 of the 25 Lok Sabha polls. While N Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party was ahead in 16 seats, allies BJP and Janasena Party were leading in three and two seats, respectively. Ruling YSRCP candidates were leading in the remaining 4.
It was a close contest in Congress-ruled Telangana. Both the ruling party and the BJP were ahead in 8 each. The AIMIM was leading in one seat.
The blocs led by DMK and Congress were surging ahead in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, respectively, amid ample indications that they might yet again sweep the polls in the two southern states that have always eluded the BJP any major electoral gains. The respective blocs had decisive clinched the polls in 2019 as well in the two states.
According to the latest trends made available for 36 of the 39 seats by the EC for Tamil Nadu, the DMK was leading in 21, and overall the alliance' nominees were ahead in 35 seats. NDA constituent PMK was leading in one seat.
Kerala was on its way for another Congress-led UDF sweep and the opposition party was leading in 13 of the 20 seats, with its ally IUML ahead in two. UDF constituents KEC and RSP were ahead in one seat each.
The BJP was leading in two, including Thrissur, and the ruling CPI-M in one segment, according to the latest EC updates.
The Congress was leading in Lakshadweep and NDA-ruled Puducherry as well.
