Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
PM Modi poised for third term despite reduced majority. BJP-led NDA secures victory in Lok Sabha, signaling political shifts
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to form the government for a third consecutive term after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a simple majority in the 543-member decision-making lower house following the Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP, having won 240 seats, crossed the 272 majority mark with the support of its allies. The Congress, which is part of the opposition INDIA alliance, won 99 seats. The INDIA bloc, which exceeded expectations and exit poll predictions, won more than 200 seats.
However, with support from BJP’s key allies N Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), which won 16 and 12 seats in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar respectively, and other alliance partners, the NDA crossed the halfway mark, securing around 290 seats.
READ MORE: Election Results 2024 LIVE: PM Modi Set For Third Term; Naidu, Nitish In Delhi For NDA Meet Today
Union Cabinet and NDA meetings
The government formation kicks off today with the Union Cabinet meeting to recommend the dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha. Once approved, President Droupadi Murmu will dissolve the current lower house and begin constituting the 18th Lok Sabha.
President Murmu will also host a farewell dinner for PM Modi’s Union Council of Ministers at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The NDA, with 292 seats, will be called upon by the President to prove its majority within a specified timeframe. As the NDA is set for a third term, the INDIA alliance, led by Congress, will be looking to court the BJP’s partners TDP and JD(U).
All eyes will be on PDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar who are expected to reach Delhi to meet PM Modi and the top leadership of BJP, as both alliances — BJP-led NDA and INDIA bloc — are slated to convene meetings in the national capital.
INDIA BLOC Meeting
Members of the INDIA bloc will convene a meeting to deliberate on strategies for the far-fetched possibility of forming a government at the centre, despite currently being way short of the required numbers. Several leaders of the top political parties, including NCP’s Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray will arrive in the national capital for the INDIA bloc meeting.
High-level discussions, in the national capital, are likely to include the possibility of engaging former partners like the JD(U) and TDP. On Tuesday, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said she would not be able to attend the INDIA bloc meeting to be held in Delhi today. Instead, the TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee may represent the party at the huddle.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi on Tuesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stressed the importance of collective decision-making of INDIA bloc leaders, saying that any actions taken will reflect the consensus of the alliance. “Honestly, I don’t have the answer to this question right now, but tomorrow I will,” Rahul said in response to a question about whether the INDIA bloc will attempt government formation by reaching out to its former allies.
“We respect our alliance partners and are not going to make statements in the press without asking for their opinion,” he added. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who also attended the press conference, was asked about the meeting with INDIA bloc partners. He responded, saying that Congress will hold talks with its alliance partners as well as “new partners” who are “going to ally” with them.
(With agency inputs)
