Prime Minister Narendra Modi cruised to a second term in office, with the BJP alone looking to a major victory in the seven-phase Lok Sabha election, reports Navodita, exclusively for Different Truths.

While holding his own in northern India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cruised to a second term in office, with the BJP alone looking to a major victory in the seven-phase Lok Sabha election. Decimating the Opposition alliances in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the BJP ensured that the Congress, which hovered around a tally of 50, would not be able to claim the official position of the Leader of the Opposition for the second time running. The defeat could trigger a major churn in the Opposition ranks, particularly in the Congress.

In Kerala, the Congress-led UDF notched up impressive numbers at the expense of the Left, winning 19 of the 20 seats, while the DMK-led coalition demolished the AIADMK-BJP alliance in Tamil Nadu, winning in 37 out of 39, including the lone seat in Puducherry.

The voter had come out in support of stability and a projected strong leader like Modi.

Shrugging off its north-centric tag, the BJP won eight more seats in Karnataka over 2014, taking its total in the state to 25 out of a possible 28, and also made further roads in the northeast. Its major NDA allies- Shiv Sena (18), JD(U) (16), LJP (6) and Akali Dal (2)- took the alliance tally to a staggering 345, making it clear that the voter had come out in support of stability and a projected strong leader like Modi.

Modi tweeted, “Thank you India! The faith placed in our alliance is humbling and

gives us the strength to work even harder to fulfill people’s aspirations.”

The Prime Minister, who campaigned relentlessly on the Balakot plank and repeatedly called the Opposition alliances examples of grand adulteration, dropped just 10 seats in U.P. and took all or nearly all seats in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

The BJP headed for a landslide victory and a second term riding on a stunning performance in states like Bengal

As the BJP headed for a landslide victory and a second term riding on a stunning performance in states like Bengal, Mamata Banerjee said: “Congratulations to the winners. But all losers are not losers.”

Mamata fought hard to preserve her territory as the BJP campaigned aggressively in 42-seat Bengal. Her Trinamool Congress is at 23, but the BJP followed closely with 17 seats.

Mamata Banerjee fought hard to preserve her territory as the BJP campaigned aggressively in 42-seat Bengal. Her Trinamool Congress is at 23, but the BJP followed closely with 17 seats.

“We have to do a complete review and then we will share our views with you all. Let the counting process be completed fully and the VVPATs matched,” the Bengal Chief Minister tweeted.

The Trinamool earlier had 34 seats and the BJP, only two. The Congress and the CPI(M)-led Left Front had four and two seats.

This was also the first time since 1952 that the Left Front did not end up with double digits in the general election.

This was also the first time since 1952 that the Left Front did not end up with double

digits in the general election.

Registering its worst poll performance in over six decades, the Left Front was virtually wiped off its bastions with the Lok Sabha poll results showing it managed just five seats across the country.

On its erstwhile turf in West Bengal, where it failed to win even one seat, its vote share reduced to a paltry 7 per cent from 23 per cent in 2014. And in Kerala, where it managed only one seat, its vote share was around 32 per cent.

In West Bengal, it was a debacle wherein all, but one Left-wing party candidates lost their security deposits.

In West Bengal, it was a debacle wherein all, but one Left-wing party candidates lost their security deposits.

For the first time since 1952 that the Left Front was reduced to single digit in the general election. Till now, while it had put up its most dismal show in 2014, winning only 12 seats – 12 less than what it had won in 2009 – its highest ever tally of 59 seats had come in 2004.

“The political ideology of the Left still has relevance, but it is not in tune with electoral politics. We need to do serious introspection, rework strategies, reorganise and reconnect with the masses,” CPI leader D Raja said, adding that young blood had to be infused to resurrect the Left in the country.

Once a Left stronghold, the CPI(M) has one seat in Kerala – Alappuzha. Another Left party, the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), has won the Kollam seat in Kerala, but it is a part of the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in the southern state.

In West Bengal, a state ruled by the Left for 34 uninterrupted years, it has drawn a blank, while it had won two seats in the state in 2014.

Five years since, it has not even managed to bag the second spot in any of the state’s 42 Lok Sabha seats.

“To think that the Left Front has an ideological influence over people is the basic failure of the Left parties. Communities seem to be Left-leaning because of class interests like farmers, who feel their issues will be addressed by these parties. However, I am not sure they vote for the Left as their ideology may be different.

“The Left has failed to culturally influence them with its ideology and, thus, it remains confined to their basic class interests,” professor, author and Left ideologue Chaman Lal said.

The Left Front, comprising the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Revolutionary Socialist Party, enjoyed its golden period in electoral politics in the 1990s and early 2000s.

It had governments in three states during this period and held around 55-60 seats in Parliament. It played the role of kingmaker for the Third Front governments during 1996-98 by joining a 13-party coalition and for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government in 2004.

With all eyes set on Modi as the Prime Minister for another tenure, it’s a wait and watch game as to what their new policies and schemes will be for the next five years. Will Modi again be the new messiah of the ‘aam admi’?

Photos from the Internet