The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has crossed the halfway mark in the Lok Sabha elections, but the lead is narrower than what exit polls had predicted. The NDA is currently ahead on 290 seats, while the opposition INDIA alliance is ahead on 234. A party or an alliance needs to cross the 272 mark in the 543 member Lok Sabha to form the government.