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Journalism of Courage
Of 37 parties other than the BJP, including factions of the NCP, the Shiv Sena and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), which attended the NDA meeting on Tuesday, 10 parties did not participate in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Out of the remaining 23 parties that contested, only eight managed to win at least a seat in the Lower House — they won nine seats between them, and polled a little over 2 crore votes, according to the General Election results.
Tuesday’s NDA meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The grouping is significant for the NDA, which will face in 2024 elections the Opposition’s new coalition — INDIA, or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance — which comprises 26 parties. What explains BJP’s weaving of alliance with smaller parties is their presence across different geographical regions and demographic sections that they claim to represent.
However, a look at their electoral performance in the 2019 election shows that except BJP and factions of NCP, LJP and the Sena, the others did not make any big difference in terms of seats.
The BJP won 303 seats, with a nation-wide vote share of 37.69%, in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The Sena, of which the Eknath Shinde faction has now joined hands with BJP, had contested as part of NDA and won 18 seats, with a vote share of 23.5%, primarily in Maharashtra.
Similarly, LJP, which subsequently split into groups led by Chirag Paswan and his uncle, Pashupati Kumar Paras, also contested the last election as part of NDA and won six seats in Bihar, with a vote share of 8%. The Ajit Pawar-led faction of NCP contested as the NCP — then a national party — in alliance with Congress and won five seats, with an overall vote share of 1.39 across Maharashtra.
Of the remaining 33 parties, 10 did not contest 2019 Lok Sabha polls: Shiromani Akali Dal (Samyukt), Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Jan Surajya Shakti Party, Kuki People’s Alliance, Hill State People’s Democratic Party, Nishad Party, Haryana Lokhit Party, Kerala Kamaraj Congress, Puthiya Tamilgam, and Gorkha National Liberation Front.
The remaining 23, which includes 12 state-level parties and 11 unrecognised registered parties, contested the election, and of them eight managed to win at least a seat each — between them, they won nine Lok Sabha seats and 2.07 crore votes.
These eight parties are: Apna Dal (Soneylal), AJSU, AIADMK, Mizo National Front, Naga People’s Front, National People’s Party, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, and Sikkim Krantikari Morcha.
Apna Dal (Soneylal) had contested as part of NDA and won two seats in Uttar Pradesh. The other seven had won a seat each.
Of 38 parties that are now part of NDA, 15 could not win a single seat in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Together, these parties polled approximately 92 lakh votes in 2019.
These 15 parties are: All India N.R. Congress, Asom Gana Parishad, Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura, Pattali Makkal Katchi, United Democratic Party, Bharath Dharma Jana Sena, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), Janasena Party, Jannayak Janta Party, Prahar Janshakti Party, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, Republican Party of India, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar), and United People’s Party, Liberal.
Shiv Sena (Shinde), NCP (Ajit Pawar), Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (led by Pashupati Kumar Paras), Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas), Apna Dal (Soneylal), AJSU Party, AIADMK, Mizo National Front, Naga Peoples Front, National People’s Party, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, All India N.R. Congress, Asom Gana Parishad, Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura, Pattali Makkal Katchi, United Democratic Party, Bharath Dharma Jana Sena, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), Janasena Party, Jannayak Janta Party, Prahar Janshakti Party, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, Republican Party of India, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar), United People’s Party, Liberal, Shiromani Akali Dal (Samyukt), Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Jan Surajya Shakti Party, Kuki People’s Alliance, Hill State People’s Democratic Party, Nishad Party, Haryana Lokhit Party, Kerala Kamaraj Congress, Puthiya Tamilgam, Gorkha National Liberation Front
Performance of the 23 NDA parties excluding BJP, NCP (Ajit Pawar), Shiv Sena (Shinde), LJP (both faction) which contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections
Source: 2019 Lok Sabha election results
