Election Results 2024 highlights: BJP likely to pick Odisha CM after Modi's swearing-in

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi organised two major 'Bharat Jodo' yatras as part of a voter outreach program, which proved successful as the grand old party and its allies from the INDIA bloc secured victory in 41 seats along the routes.

• The first 'Bharat Jodo' Yatra took place from September 2022 to January 2023, starting from Kanyakumari and concluding in Kashmir, covering 71 Lok Sabha constituencies. The second yatra, named 'Bharat Jodo Nyay,' commenced on January 14, 2024, in Manipur's Thoubal district and ended in Mumbai on March 16, 2024. It covered a distance of 6,713 km, spanning 100 Lok Sabha constituencies, 337 assembly segments, and 110 districts.
• During the rallies, over 20 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh were traversed. The Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) resolved their seat-sharing deadlock in Uttar Pradesh and formed an alliance.
• SP chief Akhilesh Yadav joined Rahul Gandhi during the Uttar Pradesh leg of the yatra in Agra on February 25, 2024. Full details of election performance

Prominent Indian-American leader Jasdeep Singh Jassee said that the recently concluded polls in India showcased the robust electoral process and conveyed a potent message worldwide about the “resilience and vibrancy of Indian democracy.”

• Despite Western media scepticism regarding the integrity of India's democratic processes, Jassee emphasised that the election results unequivocally dispelled such doubts.
• Jassee, who leads Sikhs for America, shared in an interview with PTI that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is poised to assume office for a third consecutive term, marking a historic event after over 60 years.
• Reflecting on his time in Punjab during the general elections, Jassee stated that allegations in the West about a compromised Election Commission and malfunctioning voting machines were unfounded, highlighting the legitimacy and fairness of India's elections.

JD(U) leader KC Tyagi asserted that those who previously refused to appoint Nitish Kumar as the national convenor of the INDIA bloc are now “making offers to make him the Prime Minister of India,” a proposition the party has rejected.

• With 12 Lok Sabha seats, Nitish Kumar has become one of the two pivotal figures in national politics, essential for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to secure a government formation with its 240 seats.
• Tyagi's statement comes amidst reports suggesting that the INDIA bloc had extended overtures to both Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu, whose TDP won 16 Lok Sabha seats.
• Despite extending written support to Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, both leaders reportedly negotiate hard on their respective demands, including cabinet positions. Full details here

Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, a three-time parliamentarian representing the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from Srikakulam Lok Sabha constituency, is likely to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Union Cabinet.

• Party sources familiar with the matter revealed this information on Friday, indicating Naidu's anticipated induction into the Cabinet to be sworn in on Sunday.
• The TDP is expected to secure a Cabinet minister position and two ministers of state posts in the Modi cabinet. However, the party initially sought four positions—two Cabinet and two MoS posts.
• Additionally, there's speculation within the party that they might be offered the deputy speaker's post, although this information comes from an anonymous party leader.
• Pemmasani Chandrasekhar from Guntur and Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy from Nellore are two additional TDP leaders who should be included in the Union Council of Ministers. Full details here

Special security measures have been arranged for foreign dignitaries attending the swearing-in ceremony, including enhanced protocols at three designated hotels where the dignitaries will stay.

• In addition to on-ground security, the Delhi Police issued a public advisory on Friday announcing a No-Fly Zone over the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.
• The advisory prohibits the operation of sub-conventional aerial platforms to prevent any potential threats from criminal, anti-social elements, or terrorists during the swearing-in ceremony.
• The public advisory further stated that the prohibition will be effective from June 9 to June 10, 2024. Violators will face penalties under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. These security measures follow the formal appointment of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister by the President of India on Friday.

Narendra Modi will take the oath as prime minister for the third time on June 9 at 7.15 pm, according to a statement from the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday.

On the same day, the members of his council of ministers will also be sworn in.

Modi met President Droupadi Murmu on Friday to stake his claim to form the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government under his leadership.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief J. P. Nadda presented her with a letter confirming Modi's election as the leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party, and NDA leaders submitted their letters of support.

“Exercising powers vested in her under Article 75 (1) of the Constitution of India, President Droupadi Murmu today appointed @narendramodi to the office of Prime Minister of India,” the President's office posted on X.

Narendra Modi has defeated Congress candidate Ajay Rai by a margin of 1,52,513 votes, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Modi secured 6,12,970 votes, while Ajay Rai received 4,60,457 votes.

The Bahujan Samaj Party candidate, Ather Jamal Lari, finished in third place with 33,766 votes.

Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram underscored the success of the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu, saying that the Congress-DMK alliance achieved a significant victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

“In Tamil Nadu, from INDIA alliance Congress - DMK has swept the elections with 100/100. We thank Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry people,” Chidambaram said during a press conference in Chennai on Friday.

Comparing the BJP's performance to that of the INDIA bloc, Chidambaram emphasised that the INDIA bloc outperformed in these Lok Sabha polls, while the BJP experienced a significant reduction in its numbers from their original target.

Minister of Finance of Chhattisgarh, OP Choudhary, lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his historic accomplishment of being the “second leader in Indian history to win three consecutive terms in office.”

“The people of India have blessed PM Modi as he is going to become the second person after Pandit Nehru to be the PM in three straight terms,” Choudhary stated.

The INDIA bloc partners National Conference (NC) and Congress have received 41.6 % of the total votes which were polled in Jammu and Kashmir in Lok Sabha elections in 2024, an analysis of the Election Commission of India data indicated.

In contrast the parties which were opposed to the bloc like Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Apni Party (AP) and People’s Conference (PC) have collectively garnered 31.7% of the total polled votes.

An analysis of the Form 20 result sheets of all the five parliamentary constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir revealed that 51.59 lakh people voted in the five phase election in the union territory.

Of the 51.59 lakh votes, the NC and Congress candidates managed to secure 21.45 lakh votes while BJP, AP and PC got 16.40 lakh votes collectively.

Chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar wrote an appreciation letter to all district magistrates and deputy commissioners (returning officers and district election officers), commissioners of police, senior superintendents of police, and superintendents of police for their “exemplary performance and leadership” while conducting the recently concluded general elections. Individual letters will also be sent to all officials, the ECI said.

In his letter to the district magistrates expressing his appreciation and gratitude, Kumar wrote, “It [the electoral process] has tested the capacity to maintain timelines and deadlines as any violation could have severely derailed the process itself, especially in the times when patterns/designs were manifest to find faults without corresponding evidence and magnify the same to create distrust.”

Amid the suspense over the name of the next chief minister of Odisha, a senior tribal MLA from BJP in the state on Friday said the 78-member legislature party would meet on Saturday to announce the name.

Senior MLA Rabinarayan Naik from Kuchinda of Sambalpur district on Friday said, the state legislature party would meet in Bhubaeswar and announce the name ahead of the swearing in ceremony of the BJP government on June 10. "The parliamentary party is likely to take a call on the new chief minister on Friday and a formal announcement would be made on Saturday," said Naik.

The BJP parliamentary board is the highest decision making body for all important issues starting from selection of candidates to formation of government and selection of chief minister. All the 20 BJP MPs from Odisha have been consulted by the top leadership.

Sonia Gandhi is likely to be re-elected as Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) at a meeting of party MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Saturday evening.

With Congress to decide the name of its leader in Lok Sabha, there would be a clamour for party leader Rahul Gandhi to assume the key role, party sources said. Rahul Gandhi won Lok Sabha polls from both Wayanad and Raebareli.

The sources said party MPs including KC Venugopal, Manickam Tagore and Gaurav Gogoi are expected to make the demand by raising their hands.

The leader of Congress in Lok Sabha will also be Leader of Opposition in the House as the party has won the requisite number of seats in general elections.

The union cabinet of new BJP led NDA government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be formed on Sunday may have a mix of 'old and new faces' as ministers from Bihar, where BJP's key ally Janata Dal ( United ) led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has gained big polticial clout with 12 MPs whose support is crucial for stabilty of the new dispenation.

Sources in the NDA said the JD(U), being a key ally now, is likely to get three cabinet berths atleast based on its strength of 12 MP with the party keen to strike a caste balance in selecting its nominees by giving proper represnetation to upper castes , OBCs and extremely backward classes(EBCs), who form the traditional vote bank of the party. If JD (U) leaders, aware of the matter are to be believed, the JD (U), is eyeing at Railways and Agriculture ministries.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday hailed Rahul Gandhi as "the man of the match" of the Lok Sabha polls and said it would be fitting that he takes on the mantle of the Leader of Opposition in the Lower House.

In an interview with PTI after his fourth-straight Lok Sabha polls victory, Tharoor said the message of the mandate was that the electorate have given a "comeuppance" to the BJP's "overweening arrogance" and its "my way or the high way attitude".

"It will be a challenge for Mr (Narendra) Modi and Amit Shah who have not been used to consulting very much in running their government and I think this is going to test their ability to change their way of functioning and be more accommodative and more conciliatory within the government and also I hope with the opposition," Tharoor said on the incoming coalition government of the NDA.

With the JD(U) emerging as a key constituent of the NDA with BJP falling short of majority by around 32 seats on its own, there are indications the JD(U) has been assured of not facing any hurdles in governance and key decision making by the BJP in the coalition government in Bihar, as per top sources in the NDA.

One senior JD(U) leader said the JD(U) is likely to have an 'upper hand' now in governance with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar getting more autonomy in taking big ticket decisions on state's development as per his own wishes with little interference from the any of the allies including BJP. It means, the BJP which had become more assertive in government functioning may have to play second fiddle to the JD(U).

“We are not bargaining. But, yes, we feel now the JD(U) being a key constituent of the NDA will have not much problems in smooth governance in Bihar and coalition will run more in a synchronised manner without much hurdles coming in our ways from any allies in Bihar," said the leader, referring to how the JD(U) had faced some odd situations in the past when BJP leaders had become more aggressive in governance.

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will arrive in the national capital on June 9 to attend the oath ceremony of Narendra Modi.

Nepal's PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal confirmed his visit following a telephonic conversation with Modi on Wednesday evening, during which he extended an invitation to his Nepali counterpart for the ceremony.

The Nepali Prime Minister, in turn, confirmed his attendance, with a formal announcement expected soon.

"During Wednesday evening's telephonic conversation between two leaders, the invitation was extended to the Nepali PM for attendance in the swearing-in ceremony. The Nepali Prime Minister also confirmed the attendance. A formal announcement will be made soon," the senior official told ANI seeking anonymity.

President of the Meghalaya's Voice of the People Party (VPP) Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit on Friday asked Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to look at his own backyard instead of interfering with the affairs of Meghalaya.

Condemning Sarma’s statement that a particular religion in Meghalaya was the cause for NDA’s defeat in the just concluded Lok Sabha polls, Basaiawmoit said, “This is a message that I would like to send to Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, who seems to be habitual loose talker that he should mind his own business and should rather look at his own backyard. He has no right whatsoever to interfere in the affairs of the state of Meghalaya as far as the recently concluded parliamentary election is concerned.”

“In a democratic country like India, the people of Meghalaya have the right to choose or elect any person as long as he is a citizen of India and qualified for the candidature. The people of Meghalaya are not so naive, not to know about the aims, objectives, agendas and manifestos of political parties that are taking part in this election. And as the citizens of this democratic country, we have liberty to choose any party we like,” he reminded.

Stating that churches in Meghalaya have never been involved in electoral politics, Basaiawmoit said, “However, as a community, we will choose to elect a party or candidate which believe in the Constitution of India, respect the provisions of Constitution of India, believe in the secularism of India and the party that protects the interest of the minority communities. Therefore you cannot expect that as a Christian, I will vote or elect a person, who belongs to a party that stands against the Constitution of India, that is not secular and which is also a threat to the minority in the country and that is the right of every citizen to decide.”

The hung House after the Lok Sabha elections may have come as a blessing in disguise for the smaller parties in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is set to form the new government for the third consecutive term to Narendra Modi Modi as Prime Minister without much hassles due to the inadequate numerical strength of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc.

While the BJP with 240 seats has a clear dominance, the shortfall of 32 seats for a majority looks big and it is for the first time since 2014 on the defensive. Though the NDA numbers add up to 292 with alliance partners like like the JD-U, TDP and others, the fragility due to rising aspirations is what the I.N.D.I.A. block would keep its eye on.

This has given hopes for parties like the JD-U of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to bargain hard, but a party insider said it would not be at the cost of the NDA stability.

The Change of Guard Ceremony will not take place on June 8, 15 and 22, 2024 at Rashtrapati Bhavan due to the preparation for the Swearing-in-Ceremony of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers at Forecourt, Rashtrapati Bhavan and address to both the Houses of Parliament by the President, said an official statement from President's Secretariat.

"The Change of Guard ceremony will not take place on June 8, 15 and 22, 2024 at Rashtrapati Bhavan due to the preparation for the Swearing-in-Ceremony of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers at Forecourt, Rashtrapati Bhavan and address to both the Houses of Parliament by the President," read an official statement.

Meanwhile, ahead of PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony, top officials from Delhi Police conducted a thorough security review at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha is likely to begin around June 15, sources said Friday.

The first session will commence in the third week of June with the oath-taking by the newly elected candidates as members of the House, the sources said, adding the oath-taking is likely to continue for two days, following which a new Speaker will be elected.

The next day, the president will address a joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, thus formally inaugurating the session, the sources added.

The final call on the dates of the session will be taken by the new Union Cabinet. During the session, Prime Minister Modi will also introduce members of his Council of Ministers to both the Houses.

The session is likely to conclude on June 22.