Opinion: Back to coalition era

The 2024 verdict reflects the vibrancy and beauty of Indian democracy as it gives the opposition a strong voice. With the reduced numbers in Parliament, the BJP will be forced to adopt a more accommodative and consensual approach.

Hyderabad: Indian voters have delivered a unique verdict that carried lessons to all the major contenders: A chastised BJP gets its inflated ego punctured as it fails to reach the majority mark on its own but gets to form the coalition government with the support of its pre-poll allies; a resurgent Congress makes major gains despite being written off by pollsters but a smart alliance and narrative building could have fetched far better results for the opposition bloc; the regional parties have grabbed the national limelight by putting up a stellar performance. While it is a creditable achievement for the BJP-led NDA to pull off a hat-trick win — the first by any political formation in the post-Nehru era —, the mandate comes with a clear caveat and a harsh reality check. The saffron party, which carried out a boastful ‘400 Paar’ campaign, has been restricted to below 250 seat tally and needs the support of allies to form the government. Clearly, the aura of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, around whom the entire party’s campaign revolved, stands diminished. The bubble of his omniscience and invincibility has been pricked. The fact that the BJP’s top leadership reached out to N Chandrababu Naidu, even as the counting process was on, shows its desperation to keep the flock together. Naidu, whose Telugu Desam Party has stormed to power in Andhra Pradesh with a bang, is all set to emerge as a key player in national politics, similar to the kingmaker role he had played in the 1990s as the convenor of the United Front and later in the formation of the NDA government.

The 2024 verdict reflects the vibrancy and beauty of Indian democracy as it gives the opposition a strong voice. With the reduced numbers in Parliament, the BJP will be forced to adopt a more accommodative and consensual approach. There were fears among a large section of people that a third term for the BJP with a brute majority could spell disaster for the country and result in a virtual dictatorship. However, the present mandate provides a fair share of checks and balances. It will be difficult for the NDA in its third term to push through controversial laws like the One Nation, One Election and Uniform Civil Code. The biggest hit for the BJP came from the Hindi heartland, particularly Uttar Pradesh where the Samajwadi Party made the biggest gains. The saffron party also faced reverses in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Haryana. Though the NDA held on in urban areas, the anti-incumbency was more pronounced in rural areas due to farm distress and unemployment. A clear shift of Dalit communities away from the NDA is another significant feature of this verdict. The opposition’s narrative on the potential threat to the Constitution and reservation system appears to have found traction with the voters.

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