While the NDA is comfortably above the majority mark of 272 in the 543-member Lok Sabha, the BJP has fallen short of the magic number for the first time since 2014 and is critically dependent on its allies for government formation.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) not being able to hit the majority mark alone in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the counting of votes for which took place on Tuesday, June 4, the Opposition bloc INDIA will be trying its best to approach NDA allies who matter now more than ever.
While the NDA is comfortably above the majority mark of 272 in the 543-member Lok Sabha, the BJP has fallen short of the magic number for the first time since 2014 and is critically dependent on its allies for government formation. Lok Sabha Election Results LIVE Updates
TDP, JD(U), Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Chirag Paswan-led LJP (Ram Vilas) have won 16, 12, seven and five seats respectively and will play a crucial role in government formation.
Amid this, a clip of NDA-ally Nitish Kumar and INDIA bloc partner RLD leader Tejashwi Yadav travelling on the same flight to Delhi from Bihar has gone viral.
NDA Meet Today: Senior leaders of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are met on Wednesday to take stock of the Lok Sabha poll results and deliberate on the details of government formation. JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu, who is set to become the next Andhra Pradesh chief minister, were also in attendance at the meeting where top leaders of the BJP and its other allies were present.
Nitish, Tejashwi On Same Flight: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav were seen travelling on the same flight from Patna to Delhi On Wednesday. Leaders of INDIA bloc also held a meeting at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in the national capital.
Nitish, Naidu Emerge As Kingmakers: Bihar Chief Minister and JD (U) head Nitish Kumar and TDP's N Chandrababu Naidu have emerged as potential kingmakers. While Kumar's party won 12 seats, the TDP won 16 Lok Sabha seats, according to Election Commission (EC) data. Kumar, known for his flipflops and Naidu, a recent NDA entrant, have emerged significant in the government formation process with BJP's failure to secure majority alone.
ALSO READ | Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Results: NDA Underperforms, Cong Revives Under INDIA Bloc - Winners List
INDIA Bloc To 'Decide On PM Face' Today: Former Maharashtra CM & Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, after the Lok Sabha election results on Tuesday, said the day their INDIA alliance was formed, they had "decided that they want to end the dictatorship in the country and save the Constitution." He said they will decide on the Prime Minister candidate on Wednesday, June 5. "All patriots and all people who are harassed by them (BJP) will come with us. Chandrababu has also been harassed by the BJP government," he said.
Final Tally: The Election Commission of India has declared results for 542 of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, with the BJP winning 240 seats and the Congress 99. While the Lok Sabha has 543 members, counting was held for 542 seats after the BJP's Surat candidate Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed. The Congress, which is part of the opposition INDIA bloc, won 99 seats compared to 52 it won in 2019, eating into the BJP's share in Rajasthan and Haryana.
ALSO READ | Counting Day Shockers: INDIA Defies Expectations, Modi Trails Briefly, Stock Market Crashes Hard
UP Shocker: A major shocker in Lok Sabha election vote counting was the BJP losing hold in Uttar Pradesh, a key Hindi heartland state known for being a stronghold of the Saffron party. The state, which comprises 80 Lok Sabha seats, favoured the INDIA bloc of the Opposition as Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress led in over 40 seats, keeping BJP from hitting the halfway mark.