After seizing power on its own in 2014 and 2019, the BJP must now depend on coalition partners to maintain a government for the next five years. The 2024 general elections saw the BJP fail to hit the magic number of 272, culminating in a halt at 240 seats. Despite the outcome, the BJP insists that Narendra Modi is set for a third term as Prime Minister.
The BJP's electoral shock in 2024 is further compounded by a loss of over 1% of the vote share compared to the last elections. In 2019, the BJP secured 37.7% of votes, which has now dropped to 36.6%.
This reduction in vote share translated to a drop of 64 seats for the BJP. This year's elections witnessed the BJP's debut in Kerala, but significant losses were taken in the central Hindi belt states.
Results reveal that excluding the southern states, the BJP suffered substantial setbacks in the east, west, and north. In the south, the BJP won only one seat, while losing 64 across the other mentioned regions.
Area-wise Setbacks?
- East:
This region comprises Bihar, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. Out of 153 seats, the BJP could secure only 75. In 2019, the party had won 77 seats here. Odisha provided the BJP with the most gains, awarding it 12 more seats than the previous election.
- West:
This region includes Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Daman and Diu-Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Maharashtra, and Goa. Out of 132 seats, the BJP clinched 79, a decline from their previous tally of 103. The party faced its greatest losses in Maharashtra and Rajasthan, forfeiting 24 seats. In contrast, Madhya Pradesh saw the BJP win all 29 seats.
- North:
Here, the territories are Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. The BJP's largest defeats were in this region, winning only 56 of the 126 seats—a steep decline from the 94 seats previously held. The BJP encountered its steepest losses in Uttar Pradesh, giving up 29 seats.
- South:
The southern region includes the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Union territories of Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Puducherry altogether making up 132 seats. The BJP won 30 seats which is an increase from their last win of 29 seats. The party made its entrance in Kerala with Suresh Gopi winning the Thrissur seat. The BJP saw a net gain of 7 seats across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana but simultaneously lost 8 in Karnataka.
Source: aajtak
Where BJP Lost:
Rajasthan 10 seats, Gujarat 1, Maharashtra 14, Karnataka 8, Punjab 2, Chandigarh 1, Haryana 5, Uttar Pradesh 29, Ladakh 1, Bihar 5, Manipur 1, West Bengal 6 and Jharkhand 3. In total, the BJP gave up 86 seats in these states.
Where BJP Gained:
Madhya Pradesh 1, Andhra Pradesh 3, Telangana 4, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 1, Kerala 1, Odisha 11 and Chhattisgarh 1. The BJP acquired an additional 22 seats from these areas.
Neither Loss Nor Gain:
Goa, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Assam, where the BJP successfully retained its seat count.
From Single to Triple Digits:
- Single Digit:
The BJP, founded in 1980, contested its first general election in 1984, winning only two seats. One in Mehsana, Gujarat, won by A.K. Patel and another in Hanamkonda, Andhra Pradesh, claimed by C. Janga Reddy. Atal Bihari Vajpayee lost the election, and L.K. Advani did not contest.
- Double Digit:
During the 1989 election, the BJP transcended into double digits, competing for 225 seats and winning 85. The BJP initially supported V.P. Singh's central government but later withdrew support leading to the government's collapse.
- Triple Digit:
In the 1991 elections, the BJP surpassed the hundred-seat mark for the first time, capturing 120 seats. Subsequent victories saw them win 161 seats in 1996, 182 in 1998, another 182 in 1999, and 138 in 2004. From 1999 to 2004, under Vajpayee's leadership, the NDA formed a government—the first non-Congress government to complete a full five-year term.
- Majority Win Again:
In 2014, the BJP achieved a majority on its own for the first time, winning 282 seats. The 2019 elections brought even greater success, with 303 seats. However, the BJP only managed to win 240 seats in the 2024 elections.
