Lok Sabha Election 2024 Results: Coalition Politics Returns as NDA Survives and India Revives

The day belonged to the resurgent Opposition, surpassing modest expectations from exit polls. By 5 pm, the BJP was leading on 241 seats, while the NDA was ahead on 296.

The INDIA bloc was leading on 228 seats, with the Congress on 100. The BJP’s applecart appeared upset by Uttar Pradesh, where the INDIA bloc, comprising the Samajwadi Party and Congress, led in more than 40 of its 80 seats.

The BJP was in the mid-thirties. Despite sweeping Uttar Pradesh in 2014 and maintaining ground in 2019, the party faced a setback this time, contrary to most exit polls’ predictions.

The BJP’s fortunes also did not go as planned in other battleground states. In Bengal, the party’s hope was dimmer than in 2019, leading in only 11 seats by 3 pm, while Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress was ahead in 31 seats.

Maharashtra showed disapproval of the political movements within Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party, with the Uddhav Thackeray faction ahead on 11 seats compared to Shiv Sena’s 5. The NCP’s Ajit Pawar faction led on just one seat, and Sharad Pawar on 7, while the BJP and Congress were neck and neck with 12 and 11 seats, respectively.

However, the BJP’s losses were offset by gains in Odisha, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and to some extent, Telangana. In Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu was heading for a landslide victory, leading in 158 of 175 constituencies.

The Opposition highlighted the ruling coalition’s missteps and rallied against it, in contrast to the lack of unity seen in 2019. Despite some initial shaky and patchy moments like the Congress versus Trinamool contest in Bengal and Congress versus AAP in Punjab, the narrative on a change in constitution and scrapping of reservations made an impact.

Voting was held for 543 Lok Sabha seats over seven phases, ending on Saturday. The majority mark is 272.

Three exit polls predicted a 400-plus score for the BJP-led NDA, but the Opposition dismissed these conclusions, citing the mixed success of exit polls in the country’s history. The ruling coalition’s actions, such as the scrapping of Article 370 and the construction of the Ayodhya Ram temple, played a significant role in shaping the election narrative.

Sources indicated that the oath ceremony would take place on June 9.