Rahul trailing in Amethi; NDA crosses half-way mark in early leads

BJP rally in north; makes major gains in the Hindi heartland states

rahul-gandhi-smriti-irani (File) Rahul Gandhi and Smriti Irani

Congress president Rahul Gandhi is trailing from Amethi, the traditional bastion of the Nehru-Gandhi family. His opponent BJP's Smriti Irani is leading by a margin of 4,900 from Amethi. 

Rahul Gandhi first won Amethi in 2004, 2009 and 2014. He had won against Irani in 2014 by a margin of more than 1 lakh votes. Meanwhile, he is leading from Kerala's Wayanad, his second constituency.  

At the same time, Rahul's mother Sonia Gandhi is leading consistently from Rae Bareli. 

Meanwhile, the BJP-led NDA is cruising ahead nationally with the coalition leading in 272 seats. The BJP has managed to secure major gains in the Hindi heartland states. 

While the early trends indicate a BJP rally in north India, the south has clearly aligned with the UPA, with the Congress leading in Kerala and its alliance DMK in Tamil Nadu.