India's Election 2024: Modi Faces Surprise Setback Despite Claiming Victory

In the world's largest democratic exercise, India concluded its six-week-long marathon general election on June 4, 2024. The results brought a surprising setback for incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was expected to secure a clear majority but fell short of this goal, leading to a reliance on coalition partners to form a government.

Early results indicated that Modi's party would still win by far the most parliamentary seats, putting him on track for a third consecutive term. However, his party appeared likely to lose a significant number of seats in Parliament, meaning it would need to rely on smaller parties in its coalition to form a government. This outcome represents a notable shift from the BJP's goal of winning 400 seats and a supermajority. The Indian National Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, created a coalition with dozens of other political parties to mount a challenge to Modi's seemingly enduring popularity. The BJP and its allies were ahead in more than 290 seats, while the opposition was doing better than expected with leads in more than 230 seats. Modi won his seat in the city of Varanasi by a comfortable margin, though lower than expected. Despite the setback, Modi declared victory for his alliance, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), claiming they would form a government. He expressed confidence in his party's support, stating that the number of votes for the BJP doubled in some areas, including in Delhi. He also took credit for supporting Indians throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. The election results leave Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP party falling short of the 272 seats needed for a majority on its own, with a coalition expected to be formed. This situation could potentially lead to increased reliance on the goodwill of coalition partners, both in terms of policymaking and government formation. Modi's main rival, Rahul Gandhi, has been re-elected as an MP, and his Congress Party has performed better than expected. This election marks a significant shift in India's political landscape, as it is the first time since Modi's BJP swept to power in 2014 that it appeared unlikely to secure a majority on its own. As the dust settles on India's 2024 general election, the world watches to see how Modi and his BJP navigate the challenges of coalition politics and the implications for India's future governance and policies.