The curtains have closed on the 2024 general elections, with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) set for a third term, claiming 293 seats in the Lok Sabha. This time, however, the BJP stopped short of the majority mark, winning 240 seats.
As BJP leans on allies to form the government, the men of the moment are TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu and JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar. They could be the kingmakers that prop Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Sources state that both the TDP and JD(U) have decided to press for the post of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
“If one word can sum up the outcome of the 2024 elections, it is the Hindi word, ”ankush,” (restraint) that the Indian voter has exercised — she has given the BJP the mandate to rule for a third term — but has also reined it in.”
The verdict is as much about the INDIA bloc’s story. Defying all predictions, the Opposition put up a power fight and claimed 233 seats. The Congress has not outrightly ruled out the possibility of exploring the options for government formation. What could be next for the INDIA bloc? Manoj C G reports
The result means that there would be a coalition government at the Centre after a decade. It is likely to impact relationships in the NDA, within the BJP and between the BJP and the RSS.
The BJP lost in Punjab due to widespread discontent among the farming communities over farm laws and MSP (minimum support price) demands. The state saw major protests in 2020, 2021, and 2024, which led to the BJP failing to win any seats in the state. Congress won seven seats in Punjab, including the key seat of Amritsar, which was a significant gain for the party
👉 Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc’s powerfight was also driven by the Samajwadi Party, which dislodged the BJP to win the highest number of seats in Uttar Pradesh. How did BJP lose the UP plot? Local disconnect, Agniveer, ticket choice and caste equations could be the factors.
👉 In Maharashtra, the BJP’s tally fell from 23 to 9 as its Mahayuti allies performed poorly. Was it the sympathy factor for Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar – whose parties were split up shortly before the elections – or the OBC vs Maratha factor? We decode
👉 In Bengal, the Trinamool Congress beat anti-incumbency and continued to dominate the state. The BJP, meanwhile, lost key ground in the state. Here’s what worked for the TMC
in our Opinion, “The outcome only opens up the possibility of staging a counter. Following its defeat, the BJP will resume its core politics from the next day. Will the non-BJP parties realise that this is not a victory for them but only an opportunity to define their politics sooner than later?”
We also take a look at what a coalition government could mean for BJP’s big plans