It has been a remarkable week for India, filled with unexpected developments. The Lok Sabha elections of 2024 concluded with results that contradicted the exit polls. The NDA, led by Narendra Modi, claimed victory, albeit with a narrower margin than anticipated. Contrary to predictions, the opposition INDIA bloc performed significantly better.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, under Modi’s leadership, secured 240 seats, falling short of the 272-seat majority required to form a government independently. Consequently, the BJP must rely on its allies, the Telugu Desam Party led by Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), which enhances their leverage in negotiations.

Intense discussions are underway in New Delhi regarding the formation of the government, with both Kumar and Naidu vying for key positions. Our weekly roundup offers a special focus on the election results. We delve into the events since the counting day on June 4th. We explore the factors that led to the NDA’s underperformance and those that worked in their favor. Additionally, we analyze the INDIA bloc’s performance and discuss the implications of the evolving political scenario for the nation.

The NDA, guided by Modi, had set an ambitious goal of crossing 400 seats in this election. However, the reality was quite different. The coalition did not even reach the 300-seat mark, securing 292 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. The BJP’s tally dropped sharply to 240 seats from the 303 seats it won in 2019.

What led to the downturn for the saffron party? Multiple factors were involved, which we will elucidate.

In Indian politics, the road to New Delhi is often paved through Uttar Pradesh. With its 80 Lok Sabha seats, the state is a crucial determinant of election outcomes. This time, the BJP’s performance in the state was a significant factor.

The BJP secured 33 seats in Uttar Pradesh, trailing behind the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance, which won 43 seats. Ayodhya delivered the most surprising results, where the BJP lost five of the nine seats. Notably, the SP claimed victory in the Faizabad constituency, home to the recently inaugurated grand Ram Mandir.

The BJP’s emphasis on the temple issue did not yield the expected benefits.

Uttar Pradesh decided to ditch the BJP. But that was not the only state which threw up surprising results. Maharashtra, Haryana and Rajasthan also did not stick to their usual voting patterns.

So which way did your state vote?

You win some, you lose some. This election saw some unexpected victors. It was not surprising that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah won from their respective constituencies, Varanasi and Gandhinagar. For the BJP, a loss that hurt them was that of Smriti Irani from Amethi. While actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut won, National Conference’s Omar Abdullah lost.

Here’s some election trivia. The BJP got 69 lakh more votes as compared to 2019. How then did it win 63 fewer seats?

A day after the results were out, there was buzz that the INDI Alliance would stake claim to forming the government. But later Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge announced that the bloc would present a united Opposition in Parliament against the NDA. What made the grouping change its mind?

7. While NDA will form the government, its third term in power will be different. The spotlight is on coalition politics. With no absolute majority in the Lok Sabha, the BJP will need the constant backing of its alliance partners to introduce reforms. But each has an ideology of its own.

Will the saffron party put on hold some of its pet projects like “One Nation, One Poll” and the Uniform Civil Code? We take a look.

There will be several new faces in the Cabinet. The kingmakers Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar have their eyes on some key portfolios. So what will the BJP keep? Will it give Nitish Railways? Nothing is set in stone but here is what one can expect.

TheNewsmail…