While the exit polls which had come over the weekend painted a different picture, the actual election results announced on Monday came close to a neck-and-neck contest with NDA leading in a majority of seats and I.N.D.I.A bloc narrowing the gap.

While the country makes sense of the result, The Secretariat dives deeper into data to look at the big winners and bigger losers in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

Big Winners For BJP

Narendra Modi 

Eyeing a hattrick, Narendra Modi, contesting from BJP’s Uttar Pradesh bastion of Varanasi, unsurprisingly has emerged as the victor with a huge margin of over 1.52 lakh. 

The Congress party had fielded their state party chief Ajai Rai against the Prime Minister who initially, in the early hours of the day, got a shortlived edge over PM Modi.  Aside from Ajai Rai, the Bahujan Samaj Party fielded Ather Jamal Lari, whereas Kolisetty Shiva Kumar was fielded by the Yuga Thulasi Party, while Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) fielded Gagan Prakash Yadav.

Modi is set to assume the post of PM for the third term as he was set out to do.

Suresh Gopi

BJP’s bid to make inroads into the south has come to fruition as actor-politician Suresh Gopi, contesting from Thrissur seat, scripted history by opening the saffron party’s account in Kerala for the first time. Also contesting from the seat, CPI(M)’s candidate VS Sunil Kumar trails behind in second place. 

The grand old Congress party seems to have faltered in protecting its turf as the party's candidate K Muraleedharan came in third. Gopi won with a comfortable margin of  74,686 votes. 

Piyush Goyal

Piyush Goyal, contesting from the Mumbai North seat, remained strong for the BJP despite the turn of events in Maharashtra politics. Goyal was in a direct contest with Congress’ Bhushan Patil, who trailed behind by a huge margin of over 3.57 lakh. Goyal won the Mumbai North seat with a huge margin, clocking over 6.80 lakh votes. 

In all likelihood, Goyal will play an important role in the new cabinet which NDA will form after being invited to form the government by the President.

Smriti Irani

Smriti Irani, who was earlier billed as the giant slayer for having defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in 2019, lost this time to a Congress candidate who is little known outside the constituency.  

Among the big upsets in UP for the saffron party, the loss of the Amethi seat added to the heartbreak. Congress’ Kishori Lal Sharma, a Gandhi family loyalist, bested Irani by a margin of 1,67,196.

Indian National Congress

Shashi Tharoor

Among the high-stakes contests, the story of Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram was a big one. The Congress’ incumbent candidate Shashi Tharoor was in a direct battle with BJP’s candidate and cabinet minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar. However, as the seesaw battle between the two stalwarts intensified, the margins favoured the grand old party. 

Aside from Tharoor and Chandrasekhar, CPI fielded Pannian Ravindran, whereas BSP fielded  Rajendran. Congress leader Tharoor won with a slender margin of 16,077, clocking some 3.58 lakh votes.

Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who contested from the seats of Wayanad and Raebareli, has been among the candidates who have shaken up the political scenario in Uttar Pradesh. BJP had fielded Dinesh Pratap Singh against Gandhi, in the contest. Gandhi won the Rae Bareli seat with an emphatic margin of over 39 lakh votes.

Aside from BJP and Congress, BSP had fielded Thakur Prasad Yadav for the seat. It may be important to note that Raebareli was earlier held by Sonia Gandhi, and a Gandhi win reiterates that Raebareli remains a bastion of the grand old party.

RJD 

Misa Bharti Yadav

RJD chief Lalu Yadav’s daughter Misa Bharti in her Lok Sabha debut performance outshone her competition. Contesting from Bihar’s Patliputra seat, Bharti is led by a comfortable margin. BJP had fielded Ram Kripal Yadav to thwart her. It may be important to note that Misa is already a member of Rajya Sabha. Bharti won the Patliputra seat by clocking over 6.13 lakh votes. 

Aside from the BJP and RJD, BSP fielded Harikeshwar Ram for the Patliputra. SP Sharma contested for Hindustan Vikas Dal as well.

DMK

Kanimozhi Karunanidhi

DMK’s Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, who had earlier won from Thoothukkudi, was fielded once again and managed to do her party proud with yet another victory. Daughter of former Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi, Kanimozhi’s win is a shot in the arm for DMK.

Karunanidhi was in a direct contest with AIADMK’s Sivasamy Velumani R. Karunanidhi won with a huge margin of 3,92,738 votes.

NCP(Sharadchandra Pawar)

Supriya Sule

Fielded by the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) faction, Supriya Sule who is also the daughter of NCP founder Sharad Pawar, faced her own sister-in-law in the contest for the family borough of Baramati.

Her sister-in-law Sunetra Ajitdada Pawar fielded by the rival NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar, lost to Sule with a huge margin of over 1,58,333 votes. 

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