Lok Sabha Elections 2024; Will the NDA be able to regain power by the same capacity as of 2019 or is there a chance of a shift of power?

The turf war has already begun as the different parties clashed against each other in contention to win the largest election of the largest democracy in the globe. India is now seeing the 5th phase of the general elections. 

Voter turnout in J&K

Places like Srinagar have set a record by registering the highest voter turnout (36%) since 1996. This is the first vote that the citizens participated in since article 370 was removed from the state of Jammu and Kashmir and it was made a Union Territory directly administered by the President of India. Chief electoral officer Pandurang K Pole confirmed that within 3 decades, this had been the highest voter turnout. 

In 2019, the turnout was considerably low at 14.4%, this shows the improvement in the region. As of 13th May, 2024, 3pm IST, the overall voter turnout in 9 states and the Union Territory of Indian administered J&K stood at 52.60% according to Indian News Agency ANI. 

Arvind Kejiriwal removal plea dismissed

The nation’s highest Court, The Supreme Court of India dismissed the plea seeking the removal of opposition leader Arvind Kejiriwal, as the CM of Delhi who was arrested on corruption charges a month before the general elections. 

Mamata Banerjee & AITMC Vs BJP

In another state, according to analysts, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party All India Trinamool Congress is making a pretty hard day for the BJP in West Bengal. Although the TMC has a stronghold in the state, BJP can turn it around notably due to figures like Shuvendu Adhikary, and Dilip Ghosh who have lived in the state and know their constituency well. 

According to the Election Commissionarate, West Bengal registered the highest voter turnout and is still going on at 66.05%, next up is Madhya Pradesh at second (59.63%), Jharkhand at third position (56.42%), and Andhra Pradesh at 55.49% securing the 4th position. 

Sectors focussed by Modi

A report by Bernstein stated that the ruling party that is BJP is expected to sail through to a win, with even a possibility of repeating a result like that of 2019 or above that too if everything goes well. It said that even a 5% decline in the voter turnout may result in repeating the 2019 elections result with minor revisions. According to it, there is no obvious correlation between the voting percentages and the election outcomes based on past elections results and that the investors and traders operating in the financial market need  not look much at the voter turnouts. 

In this regard, Prime Minister Modi has made it very clear on the sectors that he will be focussing on if his party comes back to power. The PM has specifically mentioned working in strengthening defence with the help of Make in India initiative, focussing on renewable energy giving a boost to green energy manufacturers, private sector companies. He also has plans to invest in making semiconductors and has already started working on it. 

Congress Vs BJP Turf War

Congress also is seen battling it hard on the ground with Rahul Gandhi taking on the Bharat Jodo Yatra previously this year, thus it is to be seen how the battle between Congress’s INDIA alliance vs BJP’s NDA goes on head to head and who turns out to be the winner of the general elections 2024.