New Delhi, June 6: As the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections come in, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) appears set for a third term with 293 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alone, however, fell short of the majority mark with 240 seats, positioning allies like Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Nitish Kumar of Janata Dal (United) as crucial supporters for Narendra Modi’s continued leadership in New Delhi. Both TDP and JD(U) are now pressing for the post of Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
This election has also been marked by the resurgence of the Opposition under the INDIA bloc, which defied expectations to secure 233 seats. The Congress party notably increased its tally from 2019, securing 99 seats. Rahul Gandhi achieved notable victories in Kerala’s Wayanad and Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli, winning by over 300,000 votes in each constituency. At a press conference, Gandhi declared, “This was a fight to save the Constitution of the country and we have emerged victorious. The country has indicated that they do not want Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah to continue their governance.”
The Opposition’s strong performance was also significantly boosted by the Samajwadi Party, which emerged as the leading party in Uttar Pradesh with 37 seats, displacing the BJP in a crucial battleground state.
The BJP’s loss in Faizabad, the site of the recently consecrated Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, is seen as a symbolic defeat. Contributing factors to this loss include widespread issues such as unemployment, inflation, land acquisition disputes, and concerns about changes to the Constitution.
Our political editors and reporters provide in-depth analysis to help understand the implications of this verdict.
