The two leaders, Bihar Chief Minister and JDU chief Nitish Kumar and Telugu Desam Party leader N Chandrababu Naidu, have now emerged as kingmakers in this Lok Sabha election that have not given an absolute majority to the BJP.
Almost 12 hours into the vote counting, TDP has won 16 seats on its own, where as the NDA dominated Andhra Pradesh with 21 wins out of 25 seats. In Bihar, Nitish Kumar’s JDU is likely to win 12 seats, the same as BJP, even though contesting fewer constituencies than its ally. As the election picture came into sharper focus by the evening, reports started doing the rounds that INDIA leaders are reaching out to the two veterans in their efforts to devise together a majority. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said they will hold a meeting with other INDIA allies tomorrow on the way forward.
At 9 pm, INDIA allies have together won 233 seats — 39 short of the majority mark. The BJP-led NDA has crossed the majority mark with a tally of 291 — 19 more than the majority mark. The BJP has scored 239 on its own — 33 short of the figure. Among the 19 MPs who are not aligned with any specific party, four belong to the YSRCP, and the rest are Independents. So, if the INDIA bloc aims to seize power, they need a combination of JDU, TDP and some Independents too. However, the BJP must retain them at all costs if they want to stay in power.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge gave a subtle clue when he spoke of new partners in the party’s presser this evening. “Until we talk to our alliance partners… and the new partners that could join us about how we could work together and get a majority, we will see. If I reveal all our strategies now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will become wary (‘hoshiyar ho jayenge’).”
Mr. Kumar’s latest switch to the NDA, months following his leadership in forming an Opposition alliance, had drawn much ridicule, with many writing his political obituary. After decades of leading NDA in Bihar, Mr. Kumar had to settle with less number of seats as the BJP made it clear who holds the authority. Jump to June 4, and the JDU chief has the advantage. And with his history of flip-flops, the BJP cannot be entirely certain.
From winning three seats in 2019 to a score of 19 this year, Chandrababu Naidu has had an epic comeback. With TDP’s support, BJP also secured three victories in a state where it lacks a presence. Furthermore, TDP has also swept the Assembly polls. As someone who played a central role in propping up HD Devegowda and IK Gujral as Chief Minister during the coalition era of the 1990s, Mr. Naidu has friends across the political divide. While senior TDP leaders, including his son Nara Lokesh, have said they would stick with NDA, the final call will be taken by the party chief.
Author: Sangi Roy
Student of mass communication with a deep passion for print media and reading. My hobbies include traveling, exploring ancient history, and visiting museums.
