Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the right-wing party, has on Wednesday appeared to be securing a clear majority in the parliament for the fifth time.
According to ANI news reports, the election for the national legislature and the 21st Knesset was seen as a close battle between the opposition candidate Benny Gantz’ Blue and White party and Netanyahu’s Likud party.
While citing the election’s preliminary results, The Times of Israel has confirmed that neither of the candidates’ parties owned a ruling majority with 97 per cent of the votes, but Netanyahu was in a strong position clearly to form a coalition government with the country’s other right-wing parties who backed Netanyahu.
Above 6.3 million voters have on Tuesday franchised to elect the members of 120-seat Knesset in 10,000 polling stations across Israel.
Despite suffering under series of corruption allegations, Netanyahu was seeking his fifth term in the office, and if he wins, he would become the longest serving leader of the country.
Meanwhile, a former Israeli army general, Gantz, has also claimed victory in the parliamentary polls and has said the public “had had their say” and the polls have a “clear winner” as well as a “clear loser”.
With both the leaders, Netanyahu and Gantz, claiming victory in the preliminary vote results, a clear image emerged on Wednesday, painting Netanyahu as the winner.