Lok Sabha Elections 2024: NDA Falls Short of ‘400+ Seats’ Target with 293 Seats
The results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are out, and the biggest setback for the BJP has come from Uttar Pradesh. The BJP has fallen short of achieving an absolute majority on its own. The NDA, which had aimed for over 400 seats, has stopped at 293 seats.
This time, the INDIA alliance which bagged 232 seats has given a tough competition to the NDA. Uttar Pradesh dealt the biggest blow to the BJP, indicating that the party’s position in the state has weakened, and the opposition parties have strengthened their stance. These results also suggest that new alliances and equations might emerge in Indian politics in the coming times.
These outcomes could play a significant role in shaping future politics, highlighting that the BJP will need new strategies and strong alliances to retain power.
The INDIA alliance has shown its strength by challenging the BJP, potentially leading to a new direction in Indian politics.
In Lok Sabha election 2019 the BJP alone had secured 303 seats, but this time the NDA alliance faced setbacks in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bengal. However, gains in states like Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have compensated for these losses.
BJP Wins 240 Seats in Lok Sabha, Modi Set for Third Term as PM
This year’s Lok Sabha election, the second-longest since India’s first election in 1951-52, saw the BJP emerging victorious in 240 out of 543 seats, while the Congress secured 99 seats.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to lead the government for a third consecutive term, supported by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which has obtained a majority in the Lok Sabha.
Although the BJP fell short of the 272-majority mark required to form the government independently, it will rely on NDA allies to achieve this goal. The election results did not deliver the overwhelming victory anticipated by the BJP-led NDA or as indicated by the exit polls.
BJP Triumphs in Key States, Modi Praises Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in Victory Speech
The BJP won 25 out of 26 seats in Gujarat and secured victory in all 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh.
- In Bihar, despite some losses, the NDA, comprising the BJP and JDU, won a total of 24 seats.
In his victory speech at the BJP headquarters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the performance in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
- Notably, the BJP achieved a historic win in Odisha, securing victories in both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. This triumph unseated the incumbent Biju Janata Dal (BJD) led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
BJP Flourishes in Andhra Pradesh
Similarly, Andhra Pradesh has given an extraordinary mandate to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
In Andhra Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena were part of the NDA.
The TDP and its allies emerged victorious in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, defeating the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP). According to the Election Commission’s figures, the TDP is emerging as the largest party with 134 seats. The Jana Sena Party has won 21 seats, and the BJP has secured eight seats.
BJP Achieves Historic Victory in Odisha
The BJP won 20 out of the state’s 21 Lok Sabha seats and 78 out of 147 Assembly seats. Meanwhile, the BJD secured victories on 51 Assembly seats but failed to win any seats in the Lok Sabha. This is particularly significant because the BJP has never held power in the state before. Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the victory in Odisha during his address at the BJP headquarters.
In the 2019 elections, under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik, the BJD won 12 seats, while the BJP secured eight and the Indian National Congress (INC) only one. In the 2019 Odisha Assembly elections, the BJD won 112 seats, while the BJP secured 23 seats. The Congress won nine seats in the 2019 Assembly elections.
Losses Incurred by BJP in These States
The BJP faced the most significant losses in the states where it had the highest expectations. It had to face disappointment in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
In West Bengal, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee dealt a heavy blow to the BJP. In the state’s 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won 18 seats, and there was hope for an increase in its tally, but instead of rising, the numbers decreased. The BJP had to settle for only 12 seats. Senior BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh and Nishith Pramanik faced defeat. Union Minister of State for Rural Development Subhash Sarkar was also defeated in Bankura.
Disappointment for BJP in Uttar Pradesh
In 2014, when the BJP came to power at the center with a massive majority of 282 seats, it had won 71 seats in Uttar Pradesh.
Five years later in 2019, the party secured 303 seats. However, this time, it had to settle for 33 seats in UP. The RLSP won two seats, and the Samajwadi Party secured 37 seats.
In the previous Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the Samajwadi Party, led by Akhilesh Yadav, had contested 37 out of Uttar Pradesh’s 80 seats in alliance with Mayawati’s BSP and Jayant Chaudhary’s RLD. The BSP won 5 seats, while the BSP managed to secure 10 seats. However, this time, the BSP failed to win any seats in the state. On the other hand, the Congress improved its position by winning 7 seats in 2019 compared to just 1 seat earlier.
Setback for BJP in Rajasthan & Maharashtra as Well
Akhilesh Yadav, successful in restricting the Bharatiya Janata Party to fewer than 40 seats, campaigned vigorously alongside Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Similarly, while the BJP alliance was granted 25 seats in Rajasthan, this time they only secured 14.
Likewise, the BJP faced setbacks in Maharashtra. In Maharashtra, the BJP won 10 seats, while Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena secured 9, and Shiv Sena’s Shinde won 7 seats. Here too, the BJP suffered losses.
