As the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were announced on Tuesday, social media was flooded by cartoons and memes highlighting the fall in seats won by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the gains made by the Opposition INDIA bloc.
The BJP’s final seat tally stood at 240, a significant fall from 2019 when it had clinched 303 seats, according to the data released by the Election Commission.
The overall tally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance reached 292 seats. In the 2019 general elections, the alliance won in 353 constituencies.
Any party or alliance requires 272 seats in the 543-member Lower House to form a government at the Centre.
The Congress won 99 seats, significantly improving on its 2019 tally when it had managed to get 52 seats. The Opposition INDIA bloc collectively bagged 232 seats.
With the BJP failing to secure a majority on its own, it now requires the support of its allies such as the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) to form the government. Kumar’s party won 12 seats, making him a crucial ally for the BJP.
Also read:
- Editor’s note: The audacity of hope
- Why the BJP took a hit in Uttar Pradesh
- Why Congress isn’t celebrating the Karnataka result despite improving its tally
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