The southern political landscape in India witnessed significant shifts as the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) made substantial gains in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, marking its presence in traditionally non-BJP strongholds. In Telangana, the BJP engaged in a close contest while continuing to dominate in Karnataka. While the BJP made significant inroads in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) reaffirmed its dominance in Tamil Nadu.
Kerala Sees First BJP Victory
BJP’s star candidate, Suresh Gopi, emerged victorious from Kerala’s Thrissur, marking the party’s first elected Member of Parliament from the state. Gopi defeated CPI’s VS Sunilkumar and Congress’ K Muraleedharan with a total of 4,12,338 votes. Sunilkumar secured 3,37,652 votes, while Muraleedharan settled in third place with 3,28,124 votes, as per the Election Commission. This is significant considering that the political landscape has been dominated by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed high hopes for Gopi, who did not disappoint. The BJP’s success in Kerala stands out amid the Congress’ continued strength, with Rahul Gandhi retaining his Wayanad seat by a significant margin of 3.5 lakh votes against CPI’s Annie Raja. Congress’ Shashi Tharoor also clinched his fourth term from Thiruvananthapuram, defeating BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
In Kerala, the Congress yet again bagged the most number of 14 seats while CPI(M), BJP, KEC, and RSP bagged one seat each. The IUML secured 2 seats.
NDA Wins Andhra Pradesh
In Andhra Pradesh, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) led by N Chandrababu Naidu made a remarkable comeback, securing 83 seats and leading in 51 out of the 175-member Assembly. Naidu’s alliance with BJP and Janasena Party proved effective against the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which was reduced to 12 seats from the 151 it held in 2019.
A disheartened YS Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed confusion over the loss despite his administration’s welfare measures, stating, “I failed to understand the reason for our party’s debacle in the assembly polls despite implementing several welfare measures without any trace of corruption.”
Andhra Pradesh’s 25 parliamentary seats also witnessed the YSR Congress Party contesting independently, while the NDA, led by BJP, allied with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party. The contest saw significant participation from the Indian National Congress (INC) and Communist parties.
The TDP made a strong comeback with 16 seats while Jana Sena and BJP secured 2 and 3 seats respectively. On the other hand, the YSRCP was reduced to 4 seats.
DMK-Led Alliance Clean Sweep in Tamil Nadu
In Tamil Nadu’s 39 parliamentary seats, fierce competition ensued primarily between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). DMK, part of the I.N.D.I.A bloc, allied with various parties, while AIADMK is supported majorly by Puthiya Tamilagam and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK). BJP allied with several parties, aiming to expand its influence.
According to the Election Commission of India, the I.N.D.I.A bloc swept the Lok Sabha Elections in Tamil Nadu, securing all the seats. The DMK won 22 seats, Congress 9, VCK 2, CPI 2, CPI(M) 2, and MDMK 1.
In Tamil Nadu, the DMK, led by Chief Minister M K Stalin, trounced rivals AIADMK and BJP, leading in all 39 state seats and the lone Puducherry segment. This mirrors the feat of Stalin’s late father, M Karunanidhi, who achieved a similar clean sweep in 2004.
Stalin dedicated the victory to his father and remarked, “BJP’s ‘money power’ and ‘abuse of power’ did not work in the LS polls.” Celebrating the party’s success, he highlighted the wins of senior leaders A Raja, Kanimozhi, and TR Baalu.
Congress, BJP Neck-And-Neck In Telangana
Telangana’s 17 Lok Sabha constituencies featured a crucial battle between the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Congress, and BJP. In Telangana, both Congress and BJP are set to win eight seats each, an improvement from their previous performances. The BRS, led by K Chandrasekhar Rao, faltered, while AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi retained his Hyderabad seat.
This election held significance for BRS’s recovery from recent setbacks and Congress’s efforts to strengthen its foothold. However, in the land once known as the bastion of the pink party, BRS secured no seat.
Karnataka Lok Sabha Election Results
In Karnataka, the BJP formed a pre-poll alliance with Janata Dal (Secular), contesting 25 and 3 seats respectively. Congress contested across all 28 constituencies. The elections took place in the state amidst sexual abuse controversies involving Prajwal Revanna, grandson of HD Deve Gowda.
Though BJP secured 17 seats in Karnataka, Congress improved its previous tally by securing 9 seats. The JD(S) bagged 2 seats. However, suspended JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna, who was accused of sexual abuse, lost his Hassan seat. ALSO READ | Lok Sabha Poll Results: Prajwal Revanna Loses JD(S) Bastion Hassan To Congress’ Shreyas Patel By Over 42,000 Votes
