Lok Sabha Elections Results 2024 | Five Reasons Why BJP could not touch magic figure of 272

The BJP will not be able to reach the magic figure of 272, the number required to form the government on its own. The BJP will require the support of its allies including the TDP and Janata Dal (United) to once again capture power at the Centre. Here are the five key reasons for saffron party not forming government on its own.

Hyderabad: The BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has failed to secure the 272 mark - the magic figure needed to form the government on its own. Here are the key reasons for it.

1. Dismal Show in Uttar Pradesh: Uttar Pradesh has 80 highest Lok Sabha seats in the country and the road to power often goes from Uttar Pradesh. The BJP was banking to perform well in the Uttar Pradesh, where it won 62 seats on its own, while its ally Apna Dal (S) won two seats. The BJP was expected to perform well banking on the work done by the Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. But tables turned in Uttar Pradesh and INDIA bloc, comprising Congress and Samajwadi Party out-numbed the BJP. Such was the irony that the Ram Temple was build in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh but BJP was trailing in Faizabad seat under which Ayodhya comes.
2. Poor Show in Maharashtra: The BJP was expected to perform well in Maharashtra along with its allies - Nationalist Congress Party led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha polls under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis had performed exceedingly well, but this time around Devendra Fadnavis could not recreate the magic. People had a sympathy factor for Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) supremo Sharad Pawar and that too went against the BJP. Plus the internal rumblings in the Maharashtra BJP, the Maratha quota agitation led by Manoj Jarange Patil also cost the saffron party heavily.
3. Dismal Show in Bengal: The BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to perform well in West Bengal. But the saffron party fared poorly and it was a dominant show by Trinamool Congress led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The BJP tried to use the Sandheshkhali incident to reach out to the voters but it did not yield the desired results for the party. Also the BJP was hoping that the voters of West Bengal move away from the TMC, but even that did not happen. Despite numerous rallies by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda.
4. Pathetic Show in Tamil Nadu and Kerala: The BJP also campaigned vociferously in the southern states of the Tamil Nadu and Kerala hoping that it would get some success in the two states. However, the BJP was wiped out in Tamil Nadu, which sends 39 MPs to the Lok Sabha and in Kerala it just managed to win a lone seat. BJP won Thissur Lok Sabha seat in Kerala after its nominee Suresh Gopi emerged triumphant. All the BJP leaders including former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said that surprising results would come from the South, but that did not happen and the voters, especially in Kerala and Tamil reposed their faith in INDIA bloc parties and the Left.
5. BJP draws a blank in Punjab: There are 13 seats in Punjab and the BJP was hoping that it would perform well. In Punjab, INDIA bloc parties Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party were contesting separately. And so the votes were expected to divide and it could have helped the BJP. The BJP also did not ally with Shoromani Akali Dal, a regional party in Punjab. That too cost the BJP dearly. Of the 13 seats in Punjab, Congress, AAP and SAD have combined won 10 seats with the Congress leading on one. The BJP failed to connect with the voters of Punjab. The farmers agitation also started from Punjab and it was clear that the agrarians were against the BJP and that reflected in the mandate.