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

The resurgent Opposition outperformed modest expectations raised by exit polls in the recent elections. As of 5 pm, the BJP is leading with 241 seats, while the NDA is ahead on 296 seats. The INDIA bloc is leading with 228 seats, with the Congress on 100. The BJP’s applecart seems to have been upset by the heartland state of Uttar Pradesh, where the INDIA bloc, consisting of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, is ahead in more than 40 of its 80 seats.

This is a significant shift as the BJP had a strong presence in Uttar Pradesh in previous elections. Similarly, the BJP has not fared as well as expected in other key battleground states such as Bengal and Maharashtra. However, the BJP’s losses are being somewhat offset by gains in states like Odisha, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and to an extent, Telangana. In Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu is heading for a landslide victory, with a clear lead in 158 of 175 constituencies.

Exit polls had predicted a strong performance by the BJP-led NDA, with some predicting a 400-plus score. However, the Opposition has been dismissive of these predictions, citing mixed success of exit polls in the country in the past. The differences in this election include a more offensive stance by the Opposition, compared to the lack of cohesiveness seen in 2019. Additionally, key issues such as the scrapping of Article 370 and the construction of the Ayodhya Ram temple have impacted the narrative.

Voting was held for 543 Lok Sabha seats over seven phases, with the majority mark set at 272. The oath ceremony is reportedly scheduled for June 9.