The BJP-led NDA is set to form its third successive government at the Centre with the Lok Sabha election results on Tuesday throwing up a verdict that also brought cheer to the opposition INDIA bloc as it put up a strong performance with Congress almost touching the 100-seat mark.
The BJP-led NDA is poised to win 291 seats, INDIA bloc 234 seats and other parties 18 seats. The Lok Sabha contest turned out to be much tighter than the predictions of exit polls which had given a sweeping victory to NDA.
With 291 seats expected in its kitty, NDA will be 17 more than the majority mark of 272 in the Lok Sabha. BJP is slated to win 240 seats on its own and the party will be dependent on its allies, including TDP and JD-U, for the stability of the government.
Apart from its clean sweep in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the best news for BJP came from Odisha where it is poised to 19 of 21 Lok Sabha seats and will also form its first government. BJP’s campaign banking on “Odisha asmita” was successful in ousting over two-decade-old Naveen Patnaik government from the state.
The BJP and its allies TDP and Janasena Party did well in Andhra Pradesh, winning 21 of 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state. TDP is poised to win 16 seats, BJP three and Janasena Party two. The alliance smashed the YSCRP ousting it from power with TDP alone poised to win a huge 135 seats in the 175-member assembly.
In his remarks, after most of the results came in the evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the BJP-led NDA will form its third successive government and that it is the victory of the resolve of Viksit Bharat, of ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’ and of the strong faith of people in India’s Constitution.
PM Modi said at the party’s central office that it is the first time after 1962 that a government that completed two full tenures has got a third successive term in office. He said “new history” has been created after six decades.
PM Modi also said that despite the opposition parties coming together, their combined number was less than the tally of BJP.
“The people of the country have expressed their trust in the NDA for the third consecutive time. This is an unprecedented moment in the history of India. I thank my family for their love and blessings. I assure the countrymen that to fulfil their aspirations, we will move forward with new energy, new enthusiasm, and new resolves,” PM Modi earlier said on X.
“I express my heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to all the workers for the dedication and tireless hard work they have done,” he added.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge targeted PM Modi after the results and said it is “political and moral defeat” for him as the Bharatiya Janata Party could not get majority on its own.
“This election results are ‘janta ka result’. This is the victory of people and the democracy. We were saying that the fight is Modi vs the people. In the 18th Lok Sabha election, we humbly accept the result. People have not given a full majority to any party. BJP asked to vote for one person, the mandate has gone against Modi. It is his political and moral loss. The person who sought votes on his name, it’s a huge loss for him,” he said at a press conference.
Party leader Rahul Gandhi, who also addressed the press conference, said that a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders will be held tomorrow to decide the next course of action.
The two Congress leaders did not directly answer if they would take role of opposition and said a decision would be taken after consulting other members of the INDIA bloc.
The counting of votes of the Lok Sabha election was taken up on Tuesday after a marathon seven-phased election and states presented contrasting pictures with BJP suffering losses in crucial Hindi heartland states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana.
Some big names from the BJP including Union Minister Smriti Irani, Maneka Gandhi, K Annamalai, Sanjeev Balyan, Arjun Munda and Ajay Mishra Teni lost the polls.
The latest numbers as per Election Commission data show BJP has won 228 seats and is leading on 12, Congress has won 88 seats and is leading on 11, Samajwadi Party is poised to win 37 seats, All India Trinamool Congress (29), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (22), Telugu Desam Party (16), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackrey) (9), Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar (7), Shiv Sena (7), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (5), Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (4), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (4), Rashtriya Janata Dal (4), Indian Union Muslim League (3), Aam Aadmi Party (3), Janasena Party (2), Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) – (2), Janata Dal (Secular) – JD(S) (2), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (2), Communist Party of India (2), Rashtriya Lok Dal – RLD (2), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (2) and Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (2).
The parties that won one seat each are the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), Kerala Congress, Revolutionary Socialist Party – RSP, Nationalist Congress Party – NCP, Voice of the People Party – VOTPP, Zoram People’s Movement – ZPM, Shiromani Akali Dal – SAD, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party – RLTP, Bharat Adivasi Party – BHRTADVSIP, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha – SKM, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam – MDMK, Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) – ASPKR, Apna Dal (Soneylal) – ADAL, AJSU Party – AJSUP and All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen – AIMIM.
United People’s Party, Liberal – UPPL, Asom Gana Parishad – AGP and Biju Janata Dal – BJD are leading on one seat each. Six independents have won and an independent candidate is leading on one seat.
The BJP-led NDA fell far short of its target of “400 paar” with BJP falling 32 short of simple majority in Lok Sabha.
The BJP had won a majority on its own in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls. It won 282 seats in 2014 and improved its tally to 303 seats in 2019 elections. The BJP had set a target of winning 370 seats in the 2024 general elections.
AAP, which contested 22 seats, has not done well and could win only three seats while drawing a blank in Delhi where it rules.
The most remarkable story for opposition is from Uttar Pradesh where the Samajwadi Party (SP) gave a jolt to the ruling BJP. SP is poised to win 37 seats against 33 won by the BJP. BSP, which once ruled the state, failed to open its account. One seat was won by Chandrashekhar of the Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram).
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s strategy in terms of caste combination for ticket distribution and fighting on local issues delivered results as he ensured a smooth alliance with Congress. The Congress won six seats including party strongholds of Amethi and Raebareli. “UP ke ladke”, the coinage used by Congress and SP for Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, delivered in the state. Rahul Gandhi won from two seats – Raebareli and Wayanad in Kerala.
BJP lost Faizabad, which includes the temple town of Ayodhya, to the Samajwadi Party.
In Maharashtra, the INDIA bloc parties gave a jolt to the ruling alliance that includes the BJP. The INDIA alliance parties won or are leading on 29 seats – Congress 13, Shiv Sena (UBT) 9 and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) 7. BJP has won or is leading on 10 seats and its allies – Shiv Sena on five seats and NCP one.
In Haryana also, the BJP lost its dominance of the last two Lok Sabha polls and is slated to win five seats. Congress is also poised to win five seats in the state. Both Mahrashtra and Harayna will face assembly polls later this year.
The INDIA bloc disrupted BJP’s record of a clean sweep in Rajasthan of the previous two Lok Sabha polls and restricted it to 14 of 25 seats. Congress won eight seats one seat was won each by CPI-M one, RLD one and Bharat Adivasi Party. The result came within six months of assembly polls which the BJP had swept.
In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress put up a strong show and won 29 seats. The BJP, which won 18 seats in 2019, is slated to win 12 seats and Congress has won one seat.
The Congress managed to slightly reduce BJP’s domination in Gujarat, home state of PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. While the BJP won 25 seats, the Congress won one seat. The BJP had earlier won Surat Lok Sabha seat unopposed.
Congress did not perform according to its expectations in party-ruled Telangana and Karnataka. But it improved its tally compared to 2019 elections. Congress could win nine seats compared to 17 seats won by BJP and two by JD-S. BJP and JD-S fought the elections in alliance.
In Telangana, BJP and Congress won eight seats each and AIMIM won one seat.
Punjab presented a mixed bag with Congress winning seven, AAP 3, Shiromani Akali Dal one and Independents two.
BJP retained its domination in Assam, winning nine seats. Congress won three and UPP(L) and AGP one each. In Chhattisgarh, BJP continued its good performance, winning 10 of 11 seats.
NDA did well in Bihar, belying expectations of INDIA bloc. It is ahead on 30 of 40 Lok Sabha seats. While JD-U and BJP both won 12 seats, LJP (Ram Vilas) won all five seats it contested and HAM (S) winning one seat. The RJD could not pull votes in its favour in the way Samajwadi Party did in Uttar Pradesh and could win only four seats. Congress won three seats.
DMK maintained its domination in Tamil Nadu and INDIA bloc won all 39 seats in the state. Congress is poised to win nine seats. The BJP could not win a seat in the state.
While Congress-led UDF maintained its dominance in Kerala, there was good news for BJP also as it opened its account in the southern state by winning a seat. Congress won 14 seats, IUML two, CPI-M Kerala Congress and RSP one each.
