The final count for India’s Lok Sabha 2024 elections has concluded, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning 240 seats, far fewer than had been expected, however, prevailing over the Opposition, Congress, which won 99 seats.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has secured a third term, but the BJP will need to rely on the support of other parties in his coalition - JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar and TDP's chief Chandrababu Naidu, falling 32 seats short of the 272 majority mark - a stunning blow for the PM, who had hoped for a landslide victory '400 paar'.
For the first time, since the Bharatiya Janata Party swept to power in 2014, it did not secure a majority on its own --- far fewer than the record 303 it won in the 2019 election.
In the face of the surprising drop in the BJP's support, the Opposition INDIA bloc claimed they had won a victory of sorts, Congress said that the election had been a "moral and political loss" for PM Modi.
In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP faced a significant challenge from the INDIA bloc, led by the Samajwadi Party, which won 37 seats. The Samajwadi Party reduced the BJP's count to 35 from 62 seats in 2019.
The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) secured 29 seats, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) secured 22 seats, and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) secured 16 seats, according to the Election Commission of India.
The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) secured 7 seats and is leading in 1 seat.
Other notable results include Janata Dal (United) - JD(U) with 12 seats, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) with 9 seats, Shiv Sena (SHS) with 7 seats, and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) with 5 seats. The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) each secured 4 seats.
Additionally, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) each won 3 seats.
Jana Sena Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation), Janata Dal (Secular), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Communist Party of India, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Jammu and Kashmir National Conference secured 2 seats.
Several other parties, United People's Party Liberal, Asom Gana Parishad, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), Kerala Congress, Revolutionary Socialist Party, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Voice of the People Party, Zoram People's Movement, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, Bharat Adivasi Party, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), Apna Dal (Soneylal), AJSU Party and All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) secured 1 seat each.
The BJP's tally of 240 seats marks a decrease from previous elections, while Congress increased its count from 52 seats in 2019 to 99 in 2024.
The BJP faced setbacks in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan struggled in the south, and saw limited success in West Bengal. However, it triumphed in Odisha, winning 20 out of 21 seats, with Congress securing the remaining seat and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) failing to win any.
In Bihar, the Congress RID alliance failed to enthuse voters, and the NDA alliance held its own.
A meeting of the NDA with its two biggest allies, TDP and JD(U), and the meeting of the INDIA bloc has been scheduled for today to discuss the way forward.