New Delhi: Though Narendra Modi could not lead his party, the BJP, to a clear majority for the third time in the 2024 general elections, he is retaining the top seat in India for the third consecutive term.

Modi’s tenure as Prime Minister began with his landslide victory in the 2014 general elections, where he secured 282 seats out of 545 with a 31 percent vote share. The Indian National Congress (INC), which had been in power until then, faced a shocking defeat, securing just 44 seats and a 19.31 percent vote share.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Modi-led BJP achieved an even greater victory, winning 303 seats. The INC, in its worst performance since its establishment, secured merely 52 seats. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 353 seats, while the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) managed only 91.

The 2024 LS polls seemed to be headed towards a predictable third win for BJP. This time, Congress united all Opposition parties against ruling BJP to form I.N.D.I.A bloc. Although exit polls and analysts anticipated a clear majority for BJP, the party, while emerging as the winner, could not cross the 272 majority mark.

With a surprising dip in vote share and seat count, BJP bagged 240 seats, while Opposition’s I.N.D.I.A bloc won 234 seats. Congress saw a revival, securing 99 seats, nearly doubling its 52-seat count from the 2019 polls. Despite this, Modi has formed the Government for the third time, in coalition with his allies TDP and JD(U), holding a combined total of 293 seats.