Game of Numbers: Why Is BJP Courting Regional Parties for 2024 Lok Sabha Elections Success?

Lok Sabha Election 2024: Amidst the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections, the process of leaders as well as parties changing sides continues. Both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are busy bringing small parties with them. Especially the BJP is getting regional, seasonal, grass root level parties included in the NDA, because the BJP does not want any party to scatter votes on any seat.
 
In 2019, these small parties won 188 Lok Sabha seats in the country.

Of these, 14 parties that won 51 seats are part of the NDA this time.

At the same time, 16 parties that won 78 seats are part of the India Alliance, while 8 parties that won 59 seats are not in any alliance.

These parties are fighting alone

Out of the parties contesting alone this time, 4 are from South India. These include YSR Congress, Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS), All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and AIADMK, while in North India, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), AIUDF and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are not part of any alliance.

Alliance is the need of Indian politics

Alliance has become the biggest need in Indian politics today. In such a situation, BJP is making alliance with regional parties to achieve NDA’s target of winning 400 seats.

If we look at the results of the last 6 Lok Sabha elections, in 1998, 41 percent MPs from other parties won and a coalition government was formed.
 
Similarly, in 1999, 45 percent MPs from other parties won, whereas in 2004, 48 percent MPs from other parties won and UPA government was formed.

In 2009 also, 41 percent MPs from other parties won and UPA government was formed again. However, in 2014, BJP alone won a clear majority.

Importance of regional parties remains intact

The same thing happened in 2019. This time BJP won 42 percent of seats and if we take the average of the results of the last 6 elections, then other parties won 42 percent of MPs.

This is the reason that despite BJP getting a clear mandate on its own, there is an NDA coalition government in the country and this time also every regional and small party remains important for BJP.