New Delhi, India — In a stunning turn of events, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to lose its national majority following significant setbacks in crucial states, signaling a seismic shift in India's political landscape, which the party has dominated for the past decade.

Initial projections indicate that the BJP is poised to emerge as the largest single party in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India's parliament. However, as results from the six-week-long election poured in on Tuesday, it became evident that replicating its sweeping victories of 2014 and 2019 would be a formidable challenge.

Unlike the previous two elections where the BJP secured clear majorities on its own in the 543-seat house, this time its leads and wins were confined to around 240 constituencies for most of the day, well below the halfway mark of 272 seats.

In contrast, the opposition INDIA alliance, spearheaded by the Congress party, is projected to secure over 200 seats, indicating a much closer contest than anticipated by exit polls released on June 1 after the final phase of voting. These exit polls had forecasted a stronger performance for the BJP surpassing its 2019 tally of 303 seats.

While Modi and his party are still expected to form the next government, they will need the support of several allies to cross the 272-seat threshold. The BJP, along with its coalition partners under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), was projected to secure approximately 290 seats by late Tuesday afternoon.

"India is likely to witness an NDA government where the BJP lacks a standalone majority, underscoring the significance of coalition politics," However, it is seen that the election outcome raises pertinent questions about the BJP's electoral strategy. Throughout the lengthy campaign, Modi, India's charismatic yet polarizing prime minister, increasingly relied on fearmongering tactics, alleging a conspiracy by the opposition to favor Muslims at the expense of the Hindu majority. In contrast, the opposition focused on critiquing Modi's government's economic performance, citing concerns over inflation and unemployment despite the nation boasting the world's fastest-growing major economy.

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