Last updated:Dec 31, 2024, 10:57 IST
The BJP wrote history by returning to power for a third consecutive term, but after comfortably crossing the magic number in consecutive years in 2014 and 2019, its seat count remained at 240, falling short of a majority of 272. was 32 points short.
Six states voted this year. The BJP and its allies won four elections, but the opposition Indian Bloc won Jammu and Kashmir and retained Jharkhand. (PTI photo)
2024 in Indian politics has been a rollercoaster year for leaders and their political parties. The big voting season revolves around the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (400 paars) slogan, which won landslide victories in assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh last winter. It started with a chat. New energy has also been injected into the BJP supporters. The inauguration of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya in January this year marked a major turning point, ending a movement that had spanned more than a century.
However, it was the opposition parties that gained momentum following the 2024 election results. The BJP made history by returning to power for a third consecutive term, but after comfortably crossing the magic number in 2014 and 2019, it only had 240 seats, falling short of its majority of 272 seats. was 32 seats short. Allies form a government at the center. Some analysts will then emphasize how significant the Bharatiya Janata Party’s victory was in a year that saw incumbent governments collapse around the world, from the United States to the United Kingdom.
Still, the performance by Bharatiya Janata Party MPs far exceeded the expectations of most pollsters and brought laughter to the united opposition camp. The Congress doubled its seats in 2019, ultimately winning 99 seats and declaring a “moral victory”, but critics ask what it is celebrating. However, these celebrations were short-lived. The Bharatiya Janata Party has successfully managed to change the narrative, winning the assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana with astonishing scores, two states that have reduced the number of MPs in Sabah.
Here’s a breakdown of what happened in Indian politics in 2024.
lok sabha elections
The Lok Sabha polls have thrown a bouquet of surprises. First, the Bharatiya Janata Party won 240 seats in the 543-member House of Representatives, while its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won about 290 seats. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Haryana have disappointed the BJP, with seats reduced from 303 in 2019. The BJP had hoped to gain more seats in West Bengal and the southern states, but regional parties such as Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and MK Stalin’s DMK (Dravida Munnetra) have emerged. Kazhagam) maintained their position. Meanwhile, the BJP won overwhelmingly in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
Secondly, its performance in the parliamentary polls became a hot topic. All the more so since Congress leaders were visibly satisfied (if not euphoric) with the outcome at a time when many had deserted the party. The Congress regained lost ground in Maharashtra, Telangana, Haryana and Punjab. However, its impact was limited and it faced direct confrontation with the Bharatiya Janata Party in Rajasthan and Karnataka. Bharatiya Janata Party leaders then said the opposition had won by spreading their so-called “false narrative” over the constitution and reservations, especially in the battleground states of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. . Meanwhile, several allies of the Bharatiya Janata Party said the ‘400 pearls’ slogan was wrong. It might have backfired.
6 months of PM Modi 3.0
Despite losing its majority, the BJP retained all major portfolios including home affairs, finance, defense and foreign affairs. The party allotted the same portfolios to the responsible ministers and reappointed Om Birla as Speaker of Parliament, signaling continuity in government.
However, the government faced opposition from the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bihar allies Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (U) and Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). The abolishment of the horizontal entry policy was called a “U-turn” by the opposition parties, who pointed out that: Coalition government pressure.” Later that year, the controversial Waqf Amendment Bill was sent to a parliamentary standing committee, the first such referral in five years.
parliamentary elections
Six states voted this year. The BJP and its allies won four elections, but the opposition Indian Bloc won Jammu and Kashmir and retained Jharkhand. In 2019, the first parliamentary elections held after J&K became a Union Territory, the National Conference, in alliance with the Congress, won. However, the BJP performed admirably in the Jammu region, winning more than half of the seats. In Jharkhand, Hemant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was once again sworn in as chief minister along with allies from the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
The state elections in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh were held at the same time as the national polls. In Odisha, the Bharatiya Janata Party won a shock majority, ending the 20-year rule of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Naveen Patnaik. Patnaik’s poor health and his “successor”, bureaucrat-turned-politician VK Pandian, taking over as CM became a hot topic in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s election campaign.
In Andhra Pradesh, the Jagan Reddy-led YSRCP was annihilated five years after coming to power with a massive mandate. Bharatiya Janata Party ally Chandrababu Naidu, who spent 53 days in jail before being released on bail in a corruption case, after voters gave a massive mandate to his Telugu Desam Party (TDP). He returned as prime minister.
Most polling organizations had predicted that the Bharatiya Janata Party would lose in Haryana, but the party made a miraculous comeback and formed the government in the northern state for the third time in a row. Political commentators have praised the BJP’s booth management, although the internal revolt, among other things, has been attributed to the Congress’ poor performance.
Maharashtra was the finale of the 2024 election year. This was the state where the BJP-led NDA lost its battle against the Indian bloc in the national polls. Six major political parties (three parties each) participated in the voting battle. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Mahayuti won overwhelming confidence and secured more than 200 seats in the 288-member parliament. The BJP alone won over 134 seats with a strike rate of almost 90%. Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also settle the “who is real?” debate with their superiority over Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP. Analysts and some on the winning side said that it appears that the winning side has won.
