The Congress and its allies have stolen an early lead over the National Democratic Alliance as the counting began in 539 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country.

An hour after counting began at 8 am in 1200 counting stations across India, in leads available from 364 seats, the Congress + allies were clearly in the lead in 156 seats. In contrast the NDA and allies are ahead in 134 seats, with others leading in 74 seats.

In Andhra Pradesh, which rejected the Telugu Desam Party on Tuesday, the TDP and the Bharatiya Janata Party were leading seven seats, while the Congress party and allies were leading in 29 seats.

In Bihar, the BJP and allies were ahead in three seats. The Congress party and allies were in ahead in one.

In Gujarat, where the BJP is expected to do well, it was ahead in seven seats while the Congress was ahead in 11 seats. 

In Karnataka, the BJP was ahead in six and the Congress is ahead in five.

In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP was ahead in 13 seats and the Congress was ahead in four.

In Maharashtra, the BJP and the Shiv Sena were ahead in four seats, while the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party were ahead in six seats.

In Rajasthan the BJP was ahead in 15 seats, and the Congress in seven.

In Tamil Nadu, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam alliance was to make its mark felt while the rival DMK front, which includes the Congress, was ahead in 19 seats.

In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP was ahead in 10 seats while the Congress was ahead in seven. The Bahujan Samaj Party was ahead in nine seats, the Samajwadi Party in nine.

In West Bengal, the BJP and allies (Trinamul Congress) were leading in one, the Congress in one and the Left Front in three.

In New Delhi, the BJP was ahead in two seats, while the Congress, which lost all seven seats in 1999, was ahead in four seats.