Elections
Lok Sabha Election 2024: How the verdict unfolded, in 14 charts
Summary
- The 2024 Lok Sabha election verdict threw up an element of surprise, going against most exit polls. Mandate 2024 also marked the return of coalition politics to India after a decade of absolute majority. Here are some strands that defined the general election this year
By going against most exit polls, the 2024 Lok Sabha election verdict threw up an element of surprise. It also threw up a lot of stories—of advances and declines, of new ground and status quo, of outperformance and underperformance. Here are some strands that defined the 2024 general election.
Also read: Lok Sabha elections 2024: Key states and parties that moved the needle
Shift in trajectories
The 2024 elections, on one hand, halted the formidable BJP juggernaut. On the other hand, after successive reversals in 2014 and 2019, the Congress managed to nearly double its seat tally and recover some lost ground.
The most effective parties
High winnability and strength in vote share makes an effective party. Select regional parties scored on both counts—Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United) from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), making them kingmakers, and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) from the INDIA alliance.
The margins game
The BJP's inability to repeat its 2019 performance also reflected in victory margins. The number of seats it won with big margins (over 30%) declined to less than half. Conversely, Congress has doubled its total seat tally, and will be pleased with its largely satisfactory victory margins.
Profiting from vote cutters
A significant performance from third-placed candidates had impacted 2024 results than 2019. And the Congress, Samajwadi Party, and All India Trinamool Congress were greater beneficiaries of such dispersion than last time.
No gains for women
The number of women candidates contesting the elections has increased over the years but the corresponding rise in the number of winners has been modest. In 2024, 76 women candidates won or were ahead as of latest count.
Full story: Lok Sabha Election 2024: How women candidates performed
Changed destinies
The INDIA bloc managed to flip several of the NDA's seats in its favour, but the reverse was not true. BJP lost precious seats in states such as Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Assam and Bihar. Congress lost fewer seats.
Lok Sabha Election: BJP’s big leads down, Congress wins by satisfactory margins
The demographic cuts
The INDIA coalition registered significant gains in seats that typified three key demographic segment cuts.
Also read: Lok Sabha election: Some metros veer towards Cong; BJP leads overall
