The 2024 verdict may have come as humbling experience for the BJP as the opposition’s India bloc emerged stronger, but the NDA is set to form government for the third time.
After 10 years of the BJP rule where it had brute majority, the third round of counting saw the party falling short of securing majority of its own by nearly 32 seats as trend sustained even 11 hours after the counting began. The BJP numbers hovered around 240, which means that BJP secured 63 seats less than the 2019 verdict of 303 seats. However, with NDA allies like Chandra Babu Naidu’s TDP, Nitish Kumar’s JDU, Chirag Paswan’s LJP (RV) among others, the alliance numbers were over 290, including the seats where they were leading. This mandate would mean that the BJP would now have to lean in on the allies which it could earlier afford to ignore.
The BJP leaders expressed confidence that all the alliance partners would stay within the grouping thus giving Narendra Modi a chance to form the government for the third time.
Accepting the verdict, Modi wrote on the microblogging site, X, "People have placed their faith in NDA, for a third consecutive time! This is a historical feat in India’s history. I bow to the Janata Janardan for this affection and assure them that we will continue the good work done in the last decade to keep fulfilling the aspirations of people. I also salute all our Karyakartas for their hard work. Words will never do justice to their exceptional efforts."
The usual verve was subdued at the BJP headquarters as the BJP struggled during the initial hours of the counting. The resounding victory that the party was hoping with its over ‘400 paar’ slogan was proved difficult to come by. The BJP-led alliance had to contend with below 300 figure. By evening, the party’s new building across the headquarters was packed with enthusiastic cadre as they awaited Modi’s visit for the speech.
Home Minister Amit Shah thanked the BJP cadre for their hardwork who made victory possible for the party. "For BJP, workers are the biggest asset. The way you took Modi’s message from North to South, East to West, is worthy of appreciation.”
The BJP leaders put up a brave front saying that they will again form the government and welcomed the “people’s mandate”. While the party may still take time to mull over the reasons behind such a mandate as Modi had personally led the charge holding 206 rallies, nearly 64 more than 2019.
Some of the BJP leaders said that the selection of candidates and the disconnect between the cadre and the elected leaders led to such a show. The surprising results in party ruled Uttar Pradesh has come as a rude shock for the party. Not only did the winning margins of most BJP candidates reduced, but the party also lost over 20 seats than 2019.
The rise of SP and Congress that, too, after the consecration of Ram Temple and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s tough administration would make the BJP do some introspection. The key losses in the state were the loss of Faizabad seat where Ayodhya falls and Smriti Irani losing from the Amethi seat.
Uttar Pradesh gave biggest gains to Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party and Congress. Congress became the second largest party in the country, close to clocking a century, while SP with its 38 seats is the third largest party.
The big gains for the BJP came from Odisha where the party will form the government for the first time and has even netted 19 seats in Lok Sabha. Similar gains in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana where BJP was on way to double its tally, and winning a seat in Kerala, marked that BJP’s south focus have had success.
The BJP faced challenge in the West as Maharashtra witnessed Maratha veterans – Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray — making a comeback along with a good show by the Congress. Gujarat continued to be bright spot as party retained 25 out of the 26 seats.
In the Hindi heartland, apart from UP, the BJP’s fortunes dipped in Haryana and Rajasthan. BJP lost half of its 10 seats in Haryana, while 11 seats in Rajasthan. The brightest spot for the BJP has been Madhya Pradesh where the party won all the 29 seats, inclduing Chhindwara, the seat earlier held by Kamal Nath and now by his son, Nakul Nath.
In the eastern region, the BJP gained in Odisha, but suffered loses in Bihar and West Bengal against the strong fight put up by the regional satraps. As Mamata Banerjee managed to increase TMC’s seat, the eight seat loss for the BJP means Didi continued to be a strong leader in her state and her party, the fourth largest in the country.
The mandate means that the new parliament building will have much livelier debates as two sides are likely pack more firepower to take control over the narrative.
