People Prick The BJP Balloon
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2024-06-04 05:20:45
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
The exit
polls have gone wrong. Opposition INDIA alliance has put up a very strong show
to ensure that it is not a walkover for the NDA. Although the NDA has raced
past the majority mark, it has fallen way behind predictions and BJP
chest-thumping. There is no sign of breaching the 400 mark. The alliance is
likely to get around 300 seats. The BJP, which got majority on its own in both
2014 and 2019, is likely to get only about 250 seats on its own.
Uttar
Pradesh pricked the BJP balloon this time. The state which gave the BJP maximum
number of MPs has this time decided to support Samajvadi Party in equal numbers.
The likely loss of nearly 30 seats in UP has hurt the BJP immensely. The
expected gains in Bengal and other states have also not materialized, leaving it
fighting hard for a simple majority for the NDA.
The likely
results, as visible in early trends, mean that the BJP will, for the first
time, have to depend on alliance partners to form a stable government as it is
not likely to get a majority on its own. Also, the new BJP government will have
to contend with a strong and united opposition.
The
opposition had reminded the BJP what had happened to the India Shining campaign
unleashed by the Vajpayee government in 2004. This time though, the opposition
fell just short of taking advantage of the anti-incumbency against the BJP and ensure
its ouster. It is clear that the NDA will form the government and Narendra Modi
will be Prime Minister again. But this victory is a defeat for the BJP and a
victory for the INDIA alliance. They have shown that the Modi magic is waning
and have set themselves up nicely for the contest in 2029 when Modi is not
likely to be around.
