Union Cabinet to meet today; Both NDA, INDIA bloc to strategise after LS poll results

The Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet on Wednesday, a day after the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The Prime Minister, on Tuesday evening, said the NDA would form the next government.

Both the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA and the Opposition INDIA bloc are set to hold meetings on Wednesday to chalk out strategies for future courses of political action.

By posting the result of votes polled in Beed constituency in Mahrashtra on the Election Commission website early on Wednesday morning, the Election Commission completed declaring all the results for all 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, with the BJP winning 240 seats and the Congress 99.

The Union Cabinet is likely to meet today at around 11:30 am in Delhi.

The NDA leaders will meet at Prime Minister Modi’s residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg today.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at around 3:30 pm.

Key leaders like Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and former Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu are expected to attend the NDA meeting.

The INDIA bloc meeting will be held in the national capital at around 6 pm.

The counting of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was held on Tuesday. According to the Election Commission of India, the BJP won 240 seats, much lower than its 2019 tally of 303. The Congress, on the other hand, registered a strong growth, winning 99 seats. The INDIA bloc crossed the 230 mark, posing stiff competition, and defying all predictions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has secured a third term, but the BJP will need to rely on the support of other parties in his coalition – JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar and TDP’s chief Chandrababu Naidu.

BJP fell 32 seats short of the 272 majority mark after votes polled in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were counted. For the first time, since the Bharatiya Janata Party swept to power in 2014, it did not secure a majority on its own.

Meanwhile, PM Modi has staked the claim to form the government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people for the mandate and said BJP-led NDA will form its third successive government and that it is the victory of the resolve of Viksit Bharat, of ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’ and of the strong faith of people in India’s Constitution.

“On this sacred day, it is confirmed that NDA is forming the government for the third time. We are grateful to the people, they reposed full faith on the BJP, NDA. This is the victory of the world’s largest democracy, it is a victory of strong faith on India’s Constitution, it is the victory of the resolve of Viksit Bharat. It is the victory of ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’,” he said in his address at the BJP headquarters on Tuesday.

After the results, the Congress party, and other opposition leaders also said, that the INDIA bloc meeting will be held on Wednesday to decide future strategies.