BJP's 2024 Setback Linked to Poor Vote Transfer from NCP

The 2024 Lok Sabha elections marked a challenging period for the BJP in Maharashtra, as the party's performance plummeted to its lowest in recent years. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reported that the BJP won only 9 out of the 28 seats it contested, a stark decline from the 23 seats it secured in the previous election. This setback was largely attributed to inadequate vote transfer from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which struggled to consolidate its voter base during the elections. Fadnavis highlighted that the BJP's core supporters were initially hesitant about the alliance with the NCP, although he noted that around 80% of voters have come to understand the necessity of such political compromises. He explained that the Shiv Sena, under Eknath Shinde, found it easier to transfer votes to the BJP due to their longstanding alliance, while the NCP faced significant challenges in this regard. Despite the disappointing results, Fadnavis pointed out that the BJP received the highest number of votes overall in the elections. He acknowledged that the party lost 12 seats by narrow margins, indicating that the potential for improvement exists. The upcoming assembly elections, expected to be announced in November, will be crucial for the ruling coalition. Fadnavis expressed confidence that the issues faced in the Lok Sabha elections are unlikely to recur in the assembly elections, as the voter bases of both the BJP and NCP have stabilized. He emphasized that winning is paramount, regardless of public perception, and that discussions regarding seat-sharing for the assembly elections are already underway.