The BJP faced significant opposition in the latest elections, losing its stronghold in key states. The party, which expected a sweeping victory, managed only 240 seats, far from the 400 predicted by PM Modi. The NDA coalition may secure between 292 and 300 seats, forming a government with a slim majority. This situation means Modi’s unilateral decision-making will be constrained.
In his campaign, Modi was confident that the BJP would form the government independently with a magic figure of 400 seats. However, the results, announced unexpectedly on Tuesday, limited the BJP to 240 seats. The NDA coalition, including BJP, could gather a maximum of 300 seats. Notably, this time, the BJP saw a significant increase in seats from the Telugu states. In 2019, the BJP won only 4 seats in Telangana and none in Andhra Pradesh. This election, the BJP doubled its seats in Telangana and secured 21 seats in Andhra Pradesh through the TDP-JanaSena-BJP coalition, totaling 29 seats from the Telugu states.
The BJP's performance was lackluster in key states like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Bihar. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP won only 35 to 40 out of 80 seats. In West Bengal, the party secured just 10 out of 42 seats. Maharashtra saw the BJP winning 11 out of 48 seats, while in Bihar, the party managed only 11 out of 48 seats. Unexpectedly, the BJP performed well in Karnataka, winning 17 seats despite not having a government there.
The BJP has formed alliances with national leaders like Nitish Kumar, but the stability and longevity of these alliances are uncertain. Relying on such partnerships to run the government will be challenging for Modi.
