Early trends of the Election Commission of India showed the Bharatiya Janata Party gaining a massive lead in Karnataka.
In Kerala, the Congress-led United Democratic Front is leading in at least 18 of 20 Lok Sabha seats.
In Tamil Nadu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is leading in at least 22 of the 38 Lok Sabha seats.
In the bye-elections for 22 Assembly seats in the state, early trends show the DMK and the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in a close fight.
YSR Congress set to win Andhra Pradesh while KCR maintains grip on Telangana #ElectionResults2019 Download editorji from here https://t.co/NiFyuEMQK9 for LIVE updates on #ElectionsWithVikram pic.twitter.com/9NgqOmthm5
— editorji (@editorji) May 23, 2019
While much of the country is focused on whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will return to power, the 2019 Lok Sabha races in the five southern states are a much more complex mix of established powers, new parties and young leaders hoping to make a mark.
YS Jaganmohan Reddy celebrates as YSR Congress heads for a landslide in Andhra Pradesh over the ruling TDP#ResultsWithNDTV #ElectionResults2019 pic.twitter.com/rb7q4fElmG
— NDTV (@ndtv) May 23, 2019
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is a significant player in only one of the states, Karnataka, while it remains a bit player in the other four, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala, where the results will have little to do with Modi – at least directly.
#ResultsWithNDTV | Trinamool Congress congratulates Y S Jagan Reddy as YSR Congress heads for landslide victory in Andhra Pradesh#ElectionResults2019 pic.twitter.com/DmiMPPWjpY
— NDTV (@ndtv) May 23, 2019
Each of the states presents a slightly different picture, with no broader narrative framing the contests across the south, except whether the BJP will be able to make an entry beyond Karnataka, particularly in Kerala – where it has fought hard to turn religion into a political issue, but remains tiny compared to the Left and the Congress – and Tamil Nadu, where numerous players are hoping to take advantage of a perceived vacuum in the first elections after the deaths of former Chief Ministers M Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa.
The Telugu states have typically been important to the formation of a coalition government at the Centre, but since the bifurcation into Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in 2014, the question has been about who will dominate politics in the newly-created states.
