Dismissed for varied reasons, two regional stalwarts — Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] president Nitish Kumar — emerged as kingmakers after the BJP fell short of the majority, posting 181 wins and 59 leads (240) in the Lok Sabha poll where 272 is the simple majority mark.
Naidu, who spent two months in jail in 2023 over a corruption probe by the YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh and was nearly written off in the state, has pledged support to the NDA. The TDP has 16 strong leads in Andhra Pradesh. Nitish Kumar, often mocked for his history of serial desertions, has 12 leads in Bihar with the JD(U) and has kept his options open.
As of 10 pm on Tuesday, the NDA had 292 leads, surpassing the majority mark in the Lok Sabha, while the opposition INDIA partners had 232 leads. To the BJP’s relief, Naidu officially declared his support for the NDA alliance, which he stated was formed for the welfare of Andhra Pradesh.
However, JD(U) chief and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has yet to reveal his stance, with indications that the opposition bloc is also in touch with him. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi mentioned that a decision on staking a claim to form the government at the Centre would be taken at a meeting of partners in the capital on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, PM Modi, in an evening message to BJP workers and India’s voters, said the NDA had been “blessed with a historical third term,” signaling his clear plans to take over as PM for the third consecutive time.
Both Nitish and Naidu have played significant roles in the era of coalition politics in the 1990s. Notably, in 1996, during a fractured national mandate, Naidu, as the convenor of the United Front, was instrumental in the installation of HD Deve Gowda as Prime Minister with the outside support of the Congress. Now, with the political scenario unfolding, all eyes remain on Nitish Kumar and his next move.
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