NEW DELHI: In the wake of the Lok Sabha election results, both the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition's INDIA bloc are meeting in New Delhi today to plan their next steps. With the BJP falling short of the majority mark, their allies Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar are arriving in Delhi for an evening meeting.
Election Numbers Breakdown Despite exit polls predicting a landslide victory for the ruling alliance, the NDA finished with 293 seats, with the BJP securing only 240. The Opposition's INDIA bloc garnered 232 seats, with the Congress making significant gains by securing 99 seats, doubling its 2019 tally.
Key BJP Losses The BJP's biggest setback occurred in Uttar Pradesh, where their seats dropped from 62 in 2019 to just 33. The party also experienced losses in several other states where it previously held strong positions, including Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Karnataka. Additionally, the BJP saw a decline in West Bengal.
The BJP's need for coalition partners is clear, with other NDA allies in Bihar, such as Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), winning five and one seats, respectively.
Chirag Paswan and the victorious MPs from his party also visited Nitish Kumar in the morning to seek his blessings and congratulate him on JD(U)'s electoral success.
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