The pro-military and pro-monarchy party had its best electoral performance ever, riding a wave of nationalism following two rounds of deadly border clashes with Cambodia last year.
Pheu Thai, Thailand’s most successful party of the 21st century, meanwhile, had its worst election result ever.
The two parties were previously coalition partners until Anutin pulled out in June following a leaked phone conversation of his predecessor, Pheu Thai’s Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
In the call, she referred to former Cambodian leader Hun Sun as “uncle” and called a Thai military commander her “opponent”, triggering outrage during a period of heightened tensions over the two countries’ disputed border.
Votes cast in three of the nation’s 400 constituencies are being recounted following concerns about the transparency of the tallying process.
At a single polling station in northern Thailand, voters will recast their ballots on Mar 1 after the number of people who registered at the site on election day did not match the number of ballots received.
While the Election Commission has yet to confirm winners of the 100 seats reserved for politicians elected from their party’s ranked candidate list, preliminary results showed Bhumjaithai far ahead in the total projected seat count, with more than 190.
People’s Party won nearly 120 total seats and Pheu Thai, less than 80, according to the preliminary results from the commission.
It must certify the election of 95 per cent of lawmakers before the new parliament can convene and choose a house speaker and prime minister.
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