INDIA: BJP suffers big losses

Eva Cheng

In the May 13 Indian parliamentary elections, the Hindu chauvinist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, Indian Peoples Party) won 138 seats — 42 less than in the previous election in 1999 — in the 545-member lower house of India's parliament.

The BJP suffered an average 2.27% swing against it, receiving 21.48% of the total votes cast.

The BJP-led governing National Democratic Alliance suffered a net loss of at least 90 seats, holding on to 185 seats.

The main opposition Congress Party, led by Sonja Gandhi, received 26.21% of the total vote, giving it 145 seats, or 31 more than 1999.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) won 43 seats, 10 more than 1999, making it the third largest party in the Indian parliament. Its vote improved by 0.2% to 5.6%.

The Communist Party of India, from which the CPI(M) split in 1964, won 10 seats, six more than 1999, even though its share of the vote contracted slightly to 1.38%.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP, Social Majority Party), which targets the lowest caste (dalit) voters, won 19 seats (all in the Uttar Pradesh state), five more than 1999, as a result of an increase in voter support from 4.16% to 5.08%.

Both the BSP and CPI(M) refused to join the new Congress-led government but pledged to support it from outside the ruling alliance.

From Green Left Weekly, June 2, 2004.

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From GLW issue 584