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INDIAN GENERAL ELECTIONS 2024 (Brief Report)
The Indian General Elections 2024 marked a pivotal moment in the nation’s political trajectory, with major participation from the BJP-led NDA and the opposition INDIA alliance, comprising the Congress, AAP, TMC, SP, and DMK. While the BJP retained significant influence, it encountered notable setbacks driven by anti-incumbency sentiment, economic challenges, rural discontent, and diminishing returns from communal and identity-based politics—particularly in key states such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. The INDIA alliance capitalised on regional strengths and strategic seat-sharing, leading to a far more competitive outcome. Concurrent state legislative elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim further underscored divergent voting patterns, with regional parties performing strongly. The overall results revealed a more fragmented political landscape, likely necessitating coalition governance. These developments hold important implications for India’s internal policy direction and its regional posture, especially in relation to Pakistan.
Key Takeaways
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the BJP, is a centre-right coalition focused on economic liberalisation, national security, and cultural nationalism. It first governed from 1998 to 2004 under Atal Bihari Vajpayee and returned to power in 2014 with Narendra Modi, retaining control in the 2019 and 2024 elections—though in 2024 it had to form a coalition government. In response, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) was formed in 2023, led by the Congress party. Emphasizing inclusive development, INDIA gained momentum in the 2024 elections, winning 234 seats and performing strongly in states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal.
State elections showed major shifts: in Andhra Pradesh, the NDA swept 164 out of 175 seats; in Arunachal Pradesh, BJP secured 46 of 60 seats; and in Odisha, BJP ended BJD’s 24-year rule with a narrow majority. In Sikkim, the SKM retained power, while the SDF collapsed. A surprise victory in Baramulla by jailed ex-MLA Engineer Rashid highlighted voter unpredictability. Elsewhere, BJP held Haryana, INDIA’s JMM leads in Jharkhand, and a Shiv Sena-NCP-INC alliance governs Maharashtra. Jammu and Kashmir remains under central rule due to ongoing instability. These results reflect a shifting political balance, with NDA retaining influence but facing a stronger opposition.
Author(s)
Dr Bilal Ghazanfar
Researcher, CASS Lahore
The Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS) was established in July 2021 to inform policymakers and the public about issues related to aerospace and security from an independent, non-partisan and future-centric analytical lens.