The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is poised for a third term, as the Election Commission of India (ECI) finalised results late Tuesday, albeit with fewer seats than anticipated by exit polls. Despite its “abki baar, 400-paar” slogan, the ruling alliance managed a below 300-tally mark of 293 seats. The magic number to form the next government of India is 272.
Contrary to pollster predictions, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) mounted a formidable challenge, having won 235 seats. Key battleground states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan witnessed close contests.
A significant development was in Uttar Pradesh, where Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party led the INDIA bloc, while Maharashtra saw a tight race between the INDIA alliance and the NDA.
However, the NDA performed strongly in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, two states which also got results for their respective state assemblies. Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) claimed a crucial win in Andhra Pradesh early into Tuesday itself, while the BJP won a decisive victory, unseating Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD), in Odisha.
We take a look at the way states swayed: NDA or INDIA?
Uttar Pradesh makes a statement
In the past two general elections, Uttar Pradesh, a significant stronghold for the BJP, witnessed an intense and closely contested battle between the NDA and the INDIA bloc, which included the Samajwadi Party and Congress.
The NDA ended up with an under-par performance of 36 seats (33 for the BJP, 2 for the RLD, 1 for Apna Dal-Sonelal party), while the INDIA bloc surged ahead, claiming 43 seats (37 for SP and 6 for Congress). Aazad Samaj (Kanshi Ram) party’s supremo Chandrashekhar Azad claimed victory in the sole SC seat of Nagina.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-led NDA secured 62 out of the state’s 80 seats, with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party, then allies, winning 10 and 5 seats, respectively. This time, the BSP contested independently, and failed to gain a single seat from UP.
For Congress, the battles in Amethi and Rae Bareli, their traditional strongholds, held immense prestige. Particularly noteworthy is Amethi, where Rahul Gandhi lost to the BJP’s Smriti Irani in the previous election. But Congress got the last laugh as Irani conceded defeat to Kishori Lal Sharma, a loyalist of the Gandhi family, who won with a margin of more than 1.6 lakh votes.
Rahul Gandhi recorded a massive win as he took Rae Bareli with a margin of over 3.9 lakh votes.
As India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh holds the largest share of seats in the Lok Sabha, totaling 80.
Maharashtra alliance fails for NDA
Maharashtra initially saw a tight race between the NDA and INDIA bloc as votes were tallied for the state’s 48 Lok Sabha seats.
But the results were as follows: the INDIA alliance won 30 seats (13 for Congress, 9 for Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, 8 for Sharad Pawar’s NCP), while the NDA managed to win in 17 (9 for BJP, 7 for Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, 1 for Ajit Pawar’s NCP).
An independent candidate took the last seat from Sangli.
The electoral landscape in the state underwent significant changes due to splits within the Shiv Sena and NCP, spurred by rebellions from Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP secured 23 seats in Maharashtra, while its then-partner Shiv Sena (prior to the split) obtained 18. The undivided NCP secured four constituencies, while the Congress managed to secure just one seat.
Maharashtra ranks second in terms of the number of Lok Sabha seats it contributes.
TMC reserves gains against BJP in West Bengal
The results on Tuesday from the eastern state defied all predictions made by exit polls, as Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidates significantly widening their lead over their BJP counterparts.
TMC grabbed 29 seats, with BJP claiming 12 seats, four fewer that it achieved in 2019. Congress managed to win one seat.
West Bengal conducted its elections in seven phases to elect 42 Members of Parliament. TMC contested independently, while the CPM and Congress formed part of the INDIA bloc against the BJP.
In 2019, the difference in seats between TMC and BJP wasn’t substantial either, with TMC securing 22 seats and BJP 18.
Former cricketer Yusuf Pathan, who was initially trailing from TMC, defeated Congress’ Adhir Chowdhury by 85,000 votes. TMC’s national general secretary and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, also claimed victory in Diamond Harbour. Similarly, TMC’s Mahua Moitra defeated BJP’s Amrita Roy in Krishnanagar. Asansol Lok Sabha TMC candidate Shatrughan Sinha also won.
It all comes down to Bihar & Nitish Kumar
The political atmosphere in Bihar reached fever-pitch on Tuesday. Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal-United (JDU) is won in 12 seats, with the BJP taking a win in 12 seats. Congress claimed victory in 3 seats. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) - LJPRV won five seats. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) took home four seats.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) also won 2 seats. Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) party and an independent candidate won one seat each.
It’s noteworthy that the RJD maintained its position as the party with the highest vote share in the state, having garnered 22.14 per cent of the total votes cast.
Bihar showcased prominent candidates from major political factions, witnessing the participation of notable figures like Samrat Choudhary (BJP), Chirag Paswan (Janshakti Party), and Tejashwi Yadav (INDIA), alongside other influential contenders from the INDIA and NDA alliances.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA dominated Bihar, securing victory in 39 out of the 40 seats. The BJP clinched 17 seats, JDU secured 16, and LJP captured 6 seats. Congress managed to win just one seat, while the RJD, under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav, failed to secure any.
Voting across the 40 Lok Sabha constituencies of Bihar occurred in all seven phases. The exit polls had indicated that the BJP-JD(U) alliance is poised to win 32-33 seats, while the INDIA bloc was expected to secure 5-6 seats.
INDIA bloc dominance in Tamil Nadu
Following over five hours of vote counting in Tamil Nadu, it appears that the DMK-led INDIA alliance is poised for a resounding victory, leading in 38 out of the 39 seats.
As part of the INDIA bloc, DMK bagged 22 seats while Congress won 9 seats. The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) party, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India (CPI), won two seats each.
The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) party and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) claimed victory in one seat each.
Notably, BJP’s K. Annamalai lags lost to DMK in Coimbatore by 1.18 lakh votes.
The competition in the state revolved around three main political formations: the INDIA bloc, led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK); the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)-led coalition; and the BJP-led NDA.
The AIADMK-led Alliance presented AIADMK as the contestant for 32 seats, with the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) looking for 5 seats. The alliance between AIADMK and BJP dissolved in September 2023.
The NDA primarily comprises the BJP, competed for 19 seats, and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), competed for 10 seats. Additionally, the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) fielded candidates across all 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu.
Voting in Tamil Nadu occurred during the initial phase of the Lok Sabha election, encompassing all 39 constituencies within the state.
Clean sweep for BJP in Madhya Pradesh
In the heart of India, Madhya Pradesh, the BJP sought a third consecutive sweep as it engaged in a direct battle with Congress for the state’s 29 seats.
And the saffron party succeeded with a dominant win in all the 29 seats. The vote share of BJP in the state currently was almost 60 per cent, while Congress’s vote share was over 30 per cent.
According to exit polls, the BJP was expected to clinch all 29 seats. While the BJP contested on all 29 seats, Congress was compelled to contest on only 27 seats after its nominee from Indore switched allegiance to the BJP on the final day for filing nominations. Additionally, for the Khajuraho seat, Congress backed All India Forward Bloc (AIFB)’s R. B. Prajapati (Raja Bhaiya).
In 2014 and 2019, the BJP secured a clear majority with 27 and 28 seats respectively. While Congress managed to secure 2 and 1 seats in 2014 and 2019 respectively, none of the other parties from the state won any seats in the past two terms.
BJP-JDS alliance hold Karnataka, but Congress reaches double figures
Karnataka’s 28 Lok Sabha seats witnessed a showdown between the BJP-JD(S) alliance and the Congress. As vote counting concluded, the BJP-JD(S) alliance claimed 19 seats while the Congress won in the remaining nine seats.
During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-led NDA secured 26 seats, with the BJP alone winning 25. In contrast, the then-alliance of Congress-JD(S) alliance managed only two seats.
Notable candidates in this election included BJP’s Jagadish Shettar from Belgaum, former Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai from Haveri, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi from Dharwad, Tejasvi Surya from Bengaluru South, and Prajwal Revanna from Hassan.
The ruling Congress clinched its first victory in the state, with its candidate Shreyas Patel from Hassan defeating JD(S) party patriarch H D Deve Gowda’s grandson and now-suspended sitting MP Prajwal Revanna by a margin of 42,000 votes. Prajwal, who faces allegations of sexual abuse, was arrested days before the results were announced.
Karnataka remains a focal point, being one of the three states where the Congress holds power. Karnataka went to polls in two phases on 26 April and 7 May.
Gujarat says no to a clean sweep for BJP
Long considered a stronghold of the BJP, Gujarat stands as a testament to the party’s formidable dominance. The BJP’s resounding victory in 2019, securing all 26 seats for its second consecutive term, showcased its unwavering support base in the western state. But not in 2024.
However, the 2024 Lok Sabha result in Gujarat saw the saffron party winning 24 seats in the state, having already won Surat. Congress took the sole seat of Banaskantha.
The electoral outcome in Gujarat holds significant prestige for the BJP, which swept all 26 Lok Sabha seats in both the 2014 and 2019 general elections. Furthermore, the state is the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, the two most influential leaders of the saffron party.
Kingmaker TDP-led NDA sweeps Andhra Pradesh
Along with polling for its 25 Lok Sabha seats, Andhra Pradesh also voted to elect its next state government.
The state displayed a strong performance by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The TDP won 16 parliamentary seats while the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) could muster only four.
The BJP claimed victory in three seats and the Janasena Party (JSP) bagged two.
An interesting fact to note is that the vote share of YSCRP surpassed the TDP by almost 2 per cent.
It was a comfortable win for TDP in the state elections with Chandrababu Naidu at the helm. As per the ECI data, the TDP bagged 135 state Assembly Constituencies and its allies JSP and BJP bagged 21 and 8 seats respectively. The YSRCP which was already trailing badly behind its opponents, won just 11 seats.
Congress makes in-roads in Rajasthan, a first since 2009
The BJP claimed victory in 14 seats, followed by Congress with 8 seats. Communist Party of India (Marxist), Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLTP), Bharat Adivasi Party (BHRTADVSIP), all bagged one seat each.
During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured the majority of seats, claiming 24 out of 25, while NDA’s RLTP clinched one seat. BJP achieved a clean sweep of the state in 2014.
BJP crushes BJD dominance in Odisha
In a surprise twist which has ended the decades-old dominance of the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the BJP secured a commanding performance in Odisha’s 21 Lok Sabha seats as well as clinched a decisive victory in the eastern state’s state assembly elections.
BJP bagged 20 seats in the eastern state, while Congress took the last one, leaving BJD with no seats at all.
In the state assembly elections, of the 147 state constituencies, BJP won in 78 seats while BJD took 51 seats. Congress bagged 14 seats, while CPI claimed victory in one seat. Independent candidates won in three seats.
BJP makes inroads in Kerala as Congress gains ground
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) claimed victory in 18 out of 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala with Congress alone won 14 seats. As part of UDF, the IUML won two seats with CMP(M) and Kerala Congress party winning one seat each.
The BJP made its first mark in Kerala’s Lok Sabha elections with Suresh Gopi securing victory in Thrissur, while the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) won a single seat.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi secured another victory with a lead of over 3.6 lakh votes against his nearest rival Annie Raja of the Communist Party of India in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.
Incumbent MP Shashi Tharoor emerged victorious in Thiruvananthapuram after a closely contested battle with Union minister BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar, while Congress leader K.C. Venugopal claimed victory in Alappuzha.
The polling, conducted in a single phase on 26 April, marked the second phase of the 18th Lok Sabha polls. Kerala, with its 20 constituencies, recorded a voter turnout of 71.27 per cent.
In the 2019 General Elections, the UDF secured victories in 19 seats, while the LDF won one seat, Alappuzha.
Telangana shows BRS the door, Owaisi the only constant
The election results in Telangana have led to a deadlock between the Congress and BJP, each winning 8 of the 17 Lok Sabha seats.
This result marks a notable setback for the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the party under the leadership of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, as it hasn’t secured any seats.
Asaduddin Owaisi, the chief of All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), claimed victory in the Hyderabad constituency, with a substantial margin of more than 3.38 lakh votes. Owaisi will be representing Hyderabad in the Lok Sabha for a fifth consecutive term.
BJP stays at 9 seats in Assam, Congress at 3
The saffron alliance continues to assert its authority in Assam, with Modi’s party winning 9 out of 14 seats, while Congress claimed three seats. Additionally, the United People’s Party, Liberal (UPPL) and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) each won in one seat.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP secured 9 out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state, despite its allies, the AGP and Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), failing to win any. Congress managed to secure three seats, with one each taken by the All-India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and an independent candidate.
This time, the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) had allied with the AGP within the NDA fold. Furthermore, the INDIA alliance had gained the support of the Assam Jaitya Parishad (AJP).
NDA leads in Jharkhand with 9, Congress-JMM ahead in 5
The BJP bagged eight Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand, with its ally AJSU Party winning one seat. The Congress clinched victor in two seats, while the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha party (JMM) won three seats.
In the four phases of voting held in Jharkhand from 13 May to 1 June, a turnout of 66.19 per cent was recorded.
In the 2019 polls, the BJP had secured 11 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats, while the AJSU Party, Congress, and JMM each won one seat.
No sign of BJP in Punjab this time
Punjab found itself immersed in a multi-faceted political contest. The landscape was dominated by the rivalry between the coalition partners of the INDIA bloc, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress, both vying for power. AAP secured a commanding victory in the state in 2022, displacing Congress.
Throughout the campaign, leaders from both camps launched scathing criticisms against each other. Meanwhile, the Shrimoni Akali Dal (SAD) and BJP, former allies, were running separately.
The Election Commission declared the results for all 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab, with Congress winning seven seats. AAP also secured victory in three seats. SAD took one seat in the state.
Independent candidates - Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa and Amritpal Singh took one seat each.
Khalsa, is notably the son of one of the assassins of former PM Indira Gandhi. Amritpal Singh, currently imprisoned, is a pro-Khalistan separatist.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress emerged as the largest party in Punjab, securing eight out of 13 seats, while SAD and BJP won two seats each. AAP managed to secure one seat. Back in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, SAD and BJP won four seats each, while Congress secured three seats and AAP two.
The state’s elections were conducted in a single phase on 1 June, with Punjab’s 13 Lok Sabha constituencies recording a turnout of 58.33 per cent.
BJP at 10, Congress at 1: Chhattisgarh keeps same trend since formation
BJP won 10 Lok Sabha Constituencies in the state of Chhattisgarh while Congress mustered a win in only one. Chhattisgarh voted in three phases for 11 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
In the last Lok Sabha elections in 2019, BJP had won 9 seats, and Congress could muster a win in 2 seats. In 2014, the trend remained the same with BJP winning 10 seats and Congress winning one. 2009 saw the same 10-1 for BJP-Congress. In 2004, the first Lok Sabha election in the state since it was formed, the trend was the same.
Haryana split evenly between BJP & Congress
Congress and BJP had an evenly contested battle for Haryana’s 10 Lok Sabha seats. Both the parties are eventually ended up with five states each. Prominent leaders such as ex-CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Kumari Selja and Deepender Singh Hooda all scored big wins.
BJP candidates won in the Karnal, Gurugram, Faridabad, Bhiwani-Mahendragarh and Kurukshetra seats, while Congress bagged the Ambala, Hisar, Rohtak, Sirsa and Sonipat Lok Sabha seats.
The exit polls had suggested a tightly contested race among the BJP, Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), and Congress.
Jammu & Kashmir rejects ex-CMs Abdullah and Mufti
From Jammu & Kashmir’s five Lok Sabha seats, both the J&K National Conference party (JKNC) and the BJP secured two seats each, while an Independent candidate, Abdul Rashid Sheikh, also emerged victorious.
Former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti suffered defeats in the Baramulla and Anantnag-Rajouri constituencies respectively. In Baramulla, imprisoned leader Abdul Rashid Sheikh, also known as Engineer Rashid, triumphed over JKNC leader Omar Abdullah.
Meanwhile, in Anantnag-Rajouri, J&K People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti extended congratulations to JKNC’s Mian Altaf Ahmad, after the latter defeated her.
This marks the inaugural election of Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory since its status changed from being part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. The reorganisation divided it into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
The region witnessed its highest voter turnout in the past 35 years, according to the ECI.
Delhi, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura remain saffron
The seven seats in Delhi NCT, five seats in Uttarakhand, four in Himachal Pradesh, two each in Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura all saw the BJP emerge victorious. These results mirrored the ones from the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
Congress wave in Manipur, Nagaland, Chandigarh, Lakshadweep
With inputs from agencies
Anmol is a Senior Sub-Editor with Firstpost. He likes to cover stories that amuse him, generally revolving around international polity, Indian foreign policy, human interest, environment and even the politically-charged election cycles in India. He has far too many disparate interests with a constant itch for travel. Having visited fourteen states in the Indian subcontinent, he is always on the lookout for opportunities to add more to the list. He enjoys watching Football, Tennis and F1 purely as a sports enthusiast. see more
