The Lok Sabha election results 2024 have not been as per the expectations of the BJP and Narendra Modi due to the party's loss in states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra. However, what kept the BJP-led NDA ahead was the party and its ally's victory in Southern states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana. While the BJP failed to open its account in Tamil Nadu, it opened its account in Kerala, thus burying the ghost of the South-North divide and the perception that the BJP is an outsider in the South.
During the NDA meeting today where Narendra Modi was elected as the leader of the Lok Sabha, BJP and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the PM-elect reflected on the poll outcome. Addressing the NDA MPs and Chief Minister of the NDA-ruled states, Modi said that the NDA has strengthened the foundation for new politics in South India.
"Look at Karnataka and Telangana, state governments were recently formed there. But people's trust broke within moments and they came out of an illusion. They accepted NDA in Karnataka and Telangana. I would like to congratulate the team of Tamil Nadu. Several people knew that perhaps we wouldn't be able to win any seats there but we would be united in this fight....We might not have been able to win a seat in Tamil Nadu but the swiftness with which NDA's vote share has increased there, it is giving a clear message that what future holds for us in Tamil Nadu....In Kerala, hundreds of our workers made sacrifices...For the first time, we have a representative from Kerala," said Modi.
#WATCH | At the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "...In South India, NDA has strengthened the foundation for new politics. Look at Karnataka and Telangana, state governments were recently formed there. But people's trust broke within moments… pic.twitter.com/Jkcf6euxvP
— ANI (@ANI) June 7, 2024
The BJP's fight in Tamil Nadu was led by former IPS and state-party chief K Annamalai. Under his fierce leadership, the BJP has increased its vote share to 11% from 3.58% in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. In Kerala, the BJP got its first MP as actor-turned-politician Sures Gopi bagged the Thrissur seat by a margin of over 74,000 votes. This is the first time that the BJP bagged any seat in the Left and Congress dominated state.
In Andhra Pradesh, the BJP fought the polls in alliance with the Chandrababu Naidu's TDP and Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena. The NDA won 21 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats. In Karnataka, the BJP contested the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the JDS and bagged 19 out of the 28 Lok Sabha seats. In Telangana, the BJP bagged 8 of the 17 Lok Sabha seats.
