Who won India’s Lok Sabha Election?

Until the evening of June 4th, the counting of Lok Sabha election results in India was underway, but it is now almost complete. The massive seven-phase election began on April 19 and ended last Saturday. The outcome of the election in the world's largest democracy was not unexpected. It clearly favors the BJP-led NDA over the opposition alliance I.N.D.A. The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha.

The house comprises 543 seats, which are filled through the election of up to 543 members. Any party or coalition needs a majority of 272 seats to form the government. Key regional allies in Narendra Modi’s coalition have already endorsed him as India’s next prime minister. Although Modi’s NDA coalition secured at least 295 seats to form the next government, the opposition alliance is interpreting the outcome differently. Mallikarjun Khadge, the president of the Indian National Congress, the main party of the opposition alliance, stated in reaction, “The results are a political and moral defeat for PM Modi. It's a win for the people, a win for democracy. This was a battle between Modi and the people.

We humbly accept the results. The people have not given a majority to any party. It is evident that the mandate is against PM Modi. It's a political and moral defeat for PM Modi since the BJP sought votes in his name. Our fight is not over yet. We will continue to strive for the country’s development, for the constitution, for the benefit of the people.” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi remarked, “India's poorest and most marginalized have risen to defend the Constitution.”

Why does the opposition perceive it as a defeat for Narendra Modi's party? It's because in 2019, the BJP won 303 seats, whereas they secured 282 in 2014 when Modi first came to power.

The scenario in West Bengal, however, is different. Trinomul Congress of Mamata Banerjee is leading in 32 constituencies, while BJP 9 and Congress in one seat. The Trinamool is reasonably content with the outcome. Because they couldn't anticipate such a favorable result. But whatever it may be, the most significant thing is that under Narendra Modi's leadership, the BJP-led NDA is once again set to form the government in India. For now, let's simply congratulate the parties that have participated in the election. In the massive country with 900 million voters, the independent Election Commission of India showcased its capability in conducting their business. It was not a matter of joke.

Mohshin Habib is an author and journalist