NDA suffers major setback in 2024 LS polls, loses 54 seats
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) experienced a significant decline, dropping from 353 seats in 2019 to 293 seats this year, a reduction of 60 seats.
The sharpest drop was observed in the Hindi Heartland states and Delhi. These regions, with a combined total of 225 seats, saw the NDA's count fall from 203 seats in 2019 to 149 seats in 2024, a deficit of 54 seats.
The NDA managed to improve its standing in only two states, maintained its previous numbers in two others, and lost ground in six states. The gains were noted in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. In Chhattisgarh, which has 11 seats, the NDA increased its tally from 9 in 2019 to 10 in 2024. Similarly, in Madhya Pradesh, the NDA went from winning 28 seats in 2019 to all 29 seats in 2024.
Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, with four and five seats respectively, saw the NDA maintain its clean sweep from 2019, winning all nine seats once again.
However, the NDA faced substantial losses elsewhere. In Bihar, the alliance (consisting of the BJP, Janata Dal [United], and Lok Janshakti Party) saw its seats decrease from 39 in 2019 to 29 in 2024. The BJP and JDU each secured 12 seats, the LJP won 5, and Hindustani Awam Morcha claimed 1 seat.
In Haryana, the NDA's performance fell dramatically from a complete sweep of 10 seats in 2019 to just 5 seats in 2024. In Jharkhand, the alliance (including the BJP and All Jharkhand Students Union) saw a reduction from 12 seats in 2019 to 9 seats in 2024.
The most significant losses for the NDA were in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. In Rajasthan, the NDA's total decreased from 25 seats in 2019 (24 by the BJP and 1 by its then-ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party [RLP]) to 14 seats in 2024, following the RLP's switch to the opposition INDIA bloc.
The largest decline occurred in Uttar Pradesh, which has 80 parliamentary seats. Here, the NDA (comprising the BJP, RLD, and Apna Dal) saw its numbers drop from 64 seats in 2019 to 36 seats in 2024, a loss of 28 seats. This significant decrease happened despite the recent consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
