On May 23, the outcome of the largest Democratic exercise in the world was known. It was the day when the Indian Election Results were announced which would give the country its new parliamentarians for the term which shall extend from 2019 to 2024.
In India, Elections are conducted by the Election Commission, an independent body which holds great power during Election time, which even the ruling government cannot challenge. On May 23, counting was underway and by evening, it became clear who would form the next government.
The results require comprehensive analysis that cannot be pulled off in one single article. However, here we will outline the results of the 2019 Indian General Elections through some essential points.
Victory For The BJP
The Bharatiya Janata, Party, led by it's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and President Amit Shah managed to secure a full majority on their own.
Not only were they the single largest party but also managed to cross the magic number required for a full majority (272) on their own. They will, however, most likely form the government along with their political allies of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
No Anti-Incumbency
Anti-Incumbency or a certain distrust or dissatisfaction with the ruling government is a common feature of Indian democracy. But for the first time since 1971, an incumbent party got a full majority on its own which would be a matter of great pride for the BJP and its election machinery.
Final Seat Tally
As counting progressed and results were declared, the final seat tallies came to light. However, they can still be subject to change in the next few days.
The BJP crossed the 300-mark on its own, winning 303 seats whereas the NDA secured a total of 352, enough to form the next government.
Both Major Parties Gain
Not just the BJP, but the Indian National Congress improved slightly on their dismal showing of 44 seats in the 2014 General Elections. However, it would be little consolation for them as they still appear a weakened opposition having barely crossed the 50-seat mark with a final tally of 52, with the United Progressive Alliance getting 87 seats.
Simultaneous State Elections
The state assembly elections of four states- Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Orissa and Sikkim was conducted simultaneously with the General Elections.
However, there was still no State Assembly Elections for Jammu and Kashmir. States like Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi would go to polls by the next year.
Assembly Election Results
In Sikkim, Pawan Chamling's Sikkim Democratic Front was second best with 15 seats losing 7 seats when compared with the results of the previous election. In Andhra, the YSR Congress under the leadership of Jagan Mohan Reddy crossed the - 150 mark and dominated the election, beating their rivals Telegu Desam Party by a huge margin.
In Arunachal, the BJP won a total of 40 seats, winning by a huge margin whereas the same was done by the Biju Janata Dal, led by Naveen Patnaik in Odisha winning by over 90 seats.
The Bengal Outcome
Coming back to the General Election, perhaps the most surprising aspect of it was the unexpectedly strong performance of the BJP in the state, winning 18 seats out of 42. This is a big gain compared to their previous showing in the state.
From just 2 Lok Sabha seats in the previous election, BJP's tally increased to 18 making it the second largest party in Bengal, close on the heels of the Trinamool Congress, which was still the largest party in Bengal and got more seats. The state also saw rising tensions and escalating violence during the election campaign.
BJP Dominates Certain States
In Rajasthan, Gujrat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, which are large and crucial states, BJP completely dominated the opposition winning close to every available seat. In Maharashtra, they managed to do so with the help of their allies, the Shiv Sena, while it managed a complete sweep in states like Gujarat, Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
Assembly Election Results Reversed
In the Assembly Elections held earlier this year, BJP lost power in Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Rajasthan to the Congress. However, what was seen in the General Elections was completely different.
In States like MP and Rajasthan, the BJP lost just one seat, which was crucial to their victory. This has been analyzed as a vote for Modi and a strong incumbent government at the Centre.
Great Performance in the Key States
What contributed to the success of the BJP greatly was its performance in key states. These are larger states with great demographic strength as a result of which they send a high number of members to Parliament
In Bihar, BJP and its allies, the LJP and the JD(U), led by Nitish Kumar won 39 seats out of a possible 40. parliamentary seats. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP on its own won 62 out of 80 parliamentary seats.
Overcoming Caste
Caste becomes a major factor of division in Indian society, often leading to discrimination and perpetuation of regressive ideas. It is also an important factor during elections with parties and voters divided along caste lines.
However, a mandate as Hoge as this for a single party defies the norm of caste politics however this is coupled with the fear of mass religious mobilization of the majority Hindu voters. The status of religious minorities remains a concern.
Non-NDA winners
Among those not from the BJP and its allies who still managed to make a mark include leaders like Naveen Patnaik and Jagan Mohan Reddy, who have managed to do extremely well in the simultaneous assembly elections as well as the General Election. Both leaders have charismatically led the way in their respective states which again tells us that regional parties and their performance should never be ignored as they may go from strength to strength and make a mark in the Indian political landscape.
Delhi Mandate
Form how it stands at this moment, the BJP has secured all seven Parliamentary seats in the national capital territory. The winners include well - known candidates like Gautam Gambhir, Hans Raj Hans and Manoj Tiwary, who have triumphed in their respective constituencies along with senior leaders like Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Meenakshi Lekhi.
This is especially frightening for the Aam Aadmi Party who won 67 out of 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly Election in 2015 but as far as a central government is concerned, the people of Delhi have still chosen the BJP.. There will be great anticipation as Delhi goes to polls next year to choose its Members of Legislation Assembly.
NON-NDA states
It is true that the BJP managed to sweep most states but there were still some states where the opposition fared better than the NDA.
Despite the great performance of the BJP, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress remains the party with the higher seats. Congress managed to do well in Punjab while in Telangana, the TRS fared much better than the BJP. Also the DMK won most of the seats in the state of Tamil Nadu. In Kerala, the UDF has secured the maximum number of seats.
Voter Turnout
India is known for its healthy voter turnout in the last few elections and this time around the total voter turnout has been over 67%, the highest for any Indian General Election.
The only place where voter turnout remains a cause for concern is the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir where constituencies like Anantnag, Baramulla and Srinagar had extremely low voter turnouts.
Well - Known Faces
The Indian Election boasts of many well-known faces in the field of media, entertainment, arts and sports contesting elections. While cricketer Gautam Gambhir, actor Sunny Deol, Babul Supriyo and Hema Nalini won the election, all of them from the BJP, many of the others including Raj Babbar and Urmila Matondkar representing the Congress, lost the election.
Among popular politicians, Rahul Gandhi, in a major upset lost his MP seat in Amethi, considered a Congress stronghold. Politicians like Milind Deora, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and a known face on TV for the BJP, Sambit Patra, also lost elections. In a major upset, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh lost the battle for Bhopal to controversial candidate Pragya Singh Thakur.
What the future entails only time will tell but the mandate has certainly defied expectations. The NDA has managed to hold on to power despite criticism from many quarters for their economic policies and amidst fears of marginalization of minorities. What an Indian citizen can hope for is for the government to be devoted to its people of different castes, religion and linguistic identities and work for the benefit of the nation and its people.
- Vidit Sahewala
- Vidit Sahewala
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