The 2024 election results were a shocker for everyone, as they turned out very differently from what the exit polls predicted. The predictions indicated that the BJP would win with a majority, but the party secured only 240 seats, while the opposition Congress secured 98 seats. The BJP-led NDA won a total of 294 seats, while the Congress-led INDIA Alliance secured 232 seats. Now, the formation of the government depends on the alliance parties and their decision to support either the NDA or the INDIA Alliance. In this scenario, Chandra Babu Naidu and Nitish Kumar play the crucial role of kingmakers, as their decisions will determine the ruling coalition. As per the sources it is said that Chandrababu Naidu wants speaker post.
No one from the INDIA Alliance has approached Naidu yet. Sources indicated that Naidu is expected to arrive in Delhi for the NDA meeting around 1 pm. Additionally, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar is also expected to arrive in the national capital. The TDP and JDU are anticipated to provide letters of support to the BJP in Delhi, after which the NDA will stake its claim to form the government at the Centre.
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TDP Emerges as Saviour in Andhra Pradesh
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), along with Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party, came to the NDA's rescue in Andhra Pradesh. In the Lok Sabha elections, the TDP won 16 seats, while the Jana Sena Party won 2 seats. The BJP could bag only 3 seats. In the state elections, the TDP did the political heavy lifting, winning 135 out of 175 seats. The Jana Sena Party got 21 seats, and the BJP won 8 seats in the Assembly polls. The YSR Congress Party was routed in both the Lok Sabha elections and the state polls. In 2024, the YSR Congress was reduced from 22 Lok Sabha seats to just 4. In the state elections, the YSR Congress saw its tally drop from 140 seats to 11 seats.
Bihar Saves BJP in North India
In Bihar, the Janata Dal (United) won 12 seats, including Siwan and Gopalganj, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP won another 12 seats, including Saran and Begusarai. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the NDA secured 294 out of 543 seats. Of these, the BJP won 240 seats, and its allies, TDP and JDU, won 16 and 12 seats, respectively. This was a significant drop from 2019, when the BJP alone won 303 seats and the NDA collectively secured 353 seats.
The INDIA Alliance secured 232 seats in the general elections held this year. The Congress improved its 2019 tally, securing a total of 98 seats, up from 52 seats in 2019. Meanwhile both Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu has said that they will be staying with NDA alliance.