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Laapata Ladies, Bridgerton and Heeramandi might have dominated the OTT cycle last month, but none of these dramas can hold a candle to the absolute thriller that unfolded during the Lok Sabha election cycle this year. While the parties scramble to decide their allegiances, most people are already convinced about a result familiar to the previous two general elections: <keyword id="20509939" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi-3-0" source="keywords">Modi 3.0</keyword>. However, the road to the end has proven anything but a bed of lotuses for the Bharatiya Janata Party (<keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords">BJP</keyword>). Despite staunch optimism of winning 400 out of 543 seats, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (<keyword id="19938590" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NDA" source="keywords">NDA</keyword>) managed to capture only 293 — a margin barely above the 272 seats majority, and dozens below their 2014 and 2019 standings. Then came the fact that the BJP, with only 240 seats won, would have to be supported by two major partner parties: the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Janata Dal (United), if they wished to finalise a majority and form the next Lok Sabha. This meant that the ball currently remains in the courts of these two quintessential “Kingmakers”; will they keep their pre-poll promises to ensure the continuity of Mr Modi, or usurp him by joining the opposition <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="INDIA" source="keywords">INDIA</keyword> bloc? This mystery may linger not just this week, but throughout the term of the next government given the fickle nature of the Indian political system. As we move into the final few legs of this political marathon, the story has only taken a turn for the juicier. According to media reports, INDIA has now offered the position of Deputy Prime Minister to JD(U) Nitish Kumar and a special status to Andhra Pradesh (with TDP majority) if the parties align with the alliance and forsake their NDA partnership. If they agree, the INDIA-TDP-JD(U) coalition could overthrow BJP-NDA to form the government, making for the biggest <keyword id="21945335" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="political-plot-twist" source="keywords">political plot twist</keyword> in decades. While we wait for the historical gavel to drop, let’s take a look back at the other bombshells to have come out of the tallying process so far. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="BJP falls short of majority" comment="subhead" text="BJP falls short of majority">BJP falls short of majority</cmsannotation> Despite battle cries of ‘Abki baar 400 par’, the Modi-led party has failed to cross the required 272 seats necessary for a clear majority and stands far below their performances in 2014 and 2019. They are no longer self-sufficient enough to make a third term without the support from allies. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="BJP loses ground in Hindi Heartland" comment="subhead" text="BJP loses ground in Hindi Heartland">BJP loses ground in Hindi Heartland</cmsannotation> The northern states, which constitute a large section of the Hindi-speaking population, have been considered BJP’s biggest loyalists. Despite this, the party has faced unexpected stiff competition in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chandigarh and Haryana. These are crucial states for the BJP, as they hold a large number of seats and losing a majority of these seats has weakened their moral position. While some blame the loss on the anger of dominant castes in the region, others say that the party ignored these stronghold regions in pursuit of expansion to the east and south. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="NDA wins below 300 seats, far below landslide 400 predictions" comment="subhead" text="NDA wins below 300 seats, far below landslide 400 predictions">NDA wins below 300 seats, far below landslide 400 predictions</cmsannotation> Not only has BJP itself been unable to capture the required majority, their NDA coalition hasn’t even touched 300 Lok Sabha seats. This indicates a significant loss of public support compared to predictions. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="BJP loses Ram Temple Constituency" comment="subhead" text="BJP loses Ram Temple Constituency">BJP loses <keyword id="41267" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ram-temple" source="Orion">Ram Temple</keyword> Constituency</cmsannotation> Construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has been one of BJP’s most prominent election promises in the past two elections. Despite delivering on this front, the party has lost the Faizabad seat to Samajwadi Party candidate Awadhesh Prasad. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Lotus blooms down south" comment="subhead" text="Lotus blooms down south">Lotus blooms down south</cmsannotation> BJP opened its account for the first time in Kerala with a win for actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi at the Thrissur seat. In Telangana, both BJP and Congress put up a strong performance by winning eight seats each and sidelining the regional parties. However, for the BJP, Tamil Nadu was a disappointment as it failed to win even one seat despite immense push from all quarters. The party did manage to increase the vote share to double digits despite a lack of support from the regional parties. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="BJP wins all Delhi seats" comment="subhead" text="BJP wins all Delhi seats">BJP wins all Delhi seats</cmsannotation> Making a hat-trick, the BJP won all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi for the third time, beating the Congress-AAP alliance. <h3>Individual/Regional Politics</h3><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Rahul Gandhi wins two seats" comment="subhead" text="Rahul Gandhi wins two seats">Rahul Gandhi wins two seats</cmsannotation> After a risky contest for two seats in Kerala’s Wayanad and Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli, the Congress leader has won both by a massive margin. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Kangana Ranaut wins Himachal seat" comment="subhead" text="Kangana Ranaut wins Himachal seat"><keyword id="10343350" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kangana-ranaut-wins" source="Orion">Kangana Ranaut wins</keyword> Himachal seat</cmsannotation> The celebrity candidate’s debut resulted in a strong win for the Mandi seat for BJP. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Smriti Irani loses" comment="subhead" text="Smriti Irani loses">Smriti Irani loses</cmsannotation> Despite high expectations, Smriti Irani loses the Amethi seat by a large margin to Congress’ Kishori Lal Sharma. This is a high-profile defeat for a key BJP figure. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Shashi Tharoor faces a brief hiccup" comment="subhead" text="Shashi Tharoor faces a brief hiccup">Shashi Tharoor faces a brief hiccup</cmsannotation> Earlier trends had briefly indicated trouble for the recurrent Thiruvananthapuram MP. However, the tides turned quickly, handing Tharoor the win over Rajeev Chandrasekhar. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Former cricketer Yusuf Pathan wins" comment="subhead" text="Former cricketer Yusuf Pathan wins">Former cricketer Yusuf Pathan wins</cmsannotation> Stepping up to politics for the first time, cricketer turned politician Yusuf Pathan won West Bengal’s Baharampur seat for the Trinamool Congress. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Jailed pro-Khalistani candidate victorious in Punjab" comment="subhead" text="Jailed pro-Khalistani candidate victorious in Punjab">Jailed pro-Khalistani candidate victorious in Punjab</cmsannotation> Amritpal Singh, a notable Khalistan supporter and independent candidate clinched the Khadoor Sahib seat from jail in Punjab. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Sexual assault-accused Prajwal Revanna pulls considerable vote share" comment="subhead" text="Sexual assault-accused Prajwal Revanna pulls considerable vote share">Sexual assault-accused Prajwal Revanna pulls considerable vote share</cmsannotation> Despite a final win by Congress candidate Shreyas M. Patel in Karnataka’s Hassan constituency, JD(U)’s Prajwal Revanna garnered 46.5% of the total votes. This has occurred despite being in police custody and having a massive sexual assault case lodged against the candidate. <h3>Other notable events</h3><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Indore sets record for highest NOTA voters" comment="subhead" text="Indore sets record for highest NOTA voters">Indore sets record for highest NOTA voters</cmsannotation> Controversy had earlier erupted in Indore after Congress candidate Akshya Kanti Bam deferred to BJP shortly before the voting process had begun. In response, over 2 lakh voters placed their bets on ‘None of the Above’, expressing dissatisfaction with the choices presented to them. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Stock market falls by COVID-19 levels" comment="subhead" text="Stock market falls by COVID-19 levels">Stock market falls by COVID-19 levels</cmsannotation> Anticipating an easy win and stable third term for Modi, the Indian stock surged right before the election. However, government uncertainty later on spurred the Nifty and BSE Sensex indices to crash by as much as 8.5%.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Biggest shockers to come out of the thrilling election results

Rahul Gandhi created a history of sorts on Thursday. He lost the Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, which no Congress leader ever did since 1980. In fact, death took two of its MPs- Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi away from this seat. It was then taken over by Sonia Gandhi who later had her son and her ‘heir apparent’ to take over. That proved to be a fatal mistake, this election. However, it should be mentioned that Rahul had won from this constituency thrice since 2004. Irani won, albeit with a margin of over 55,000 votes with Rahul emerging as the runner-up. Congress grip loosens <keyword id="6612" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Smriti-Irani">Smriti Irani</keyword> a former model, actress and union HRD minister achieved something only one person ever did---a non-Congress candidate who won from the seat. It has been with the party since 1967, ever since it was created. Only Rajendra Pratap Singh of Janata Party had it post-emergency between 1977-80. Irani might have gained from the Modi wave in the state and exasperation of the public against the Gandhi family who has been showing up only for elections. In fact, this time around Rahul who has been busy campaigning across the country, never even bothered to show up at his constituency. He sent his sister, Priyanka Gandhi to take up the mantle. Priyanka was welcomed with posters asking on her brother’s no-show. And, she too was criticized for showing up once in every five years. The tide has turned Irani who garnered a margin 49.7% votes, had countered a lack of Gandhi disinterest, with spirited campaigning. She had reached out to people, spoke to them, challenged dynasty politics and asked why Rahul was missing at the constituency for 15 years. When Rahul sensed the turning tide, he decided to contest from Waynad when she accused him of “running”. The stage for this victory was set in 2014 itself when BJP fielded Irani against Gandhi. Until then, few parties ever bothered to field their best candidates which includes regional parties like Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP). BJP refused to back down on this Congress stronghold which brought on this victory today. Last elections too, she managed to reduce Rahul’s margin who won only by a lakh votes. The firebrand Irani is a well-known face across the country, thanks to being a lead star in a soap opera which ran for over 15 years, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (Every mother-in-law was once was a daughter-in-law) She had played a soft spoken and hence an ideal wife in the hit TV series. But she blossomed to become one of the most outspoken of ministers in Modi’s cabinet which is not actually known for diplomatic people. She had come down on people in favour of Narendra Modi, the prime minister. Her speeches ranged from angry to emotional to exasperation; taking her leader’s word to media channels across issues. She<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PlGs8NCMWE"> defended her government</a> for charging Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students with sedition law, saying they have been engaged in “unlawful activities”. She was<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8iqdNm3egk"> moved by the suicide</a> of a dalit student Rohith Vemula led to riots; and blamed the political forces; blaming people for “using his (Rohith’s) body as a political tool”. Irani has in fact been called ‘Modi’s Sushma’ after she comfortably took up the mantle as veteran BJP politician Sushma Swaraj moved away from active politics. However, it is interesting to note that Irani who is mentored by late union telecom minister Pramod Mahajan never started as a Modi fan. In fact, she had blamed Modi for BJP’s<a href="https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/smriti-irani-drama-slams-modi-first-withdraws-statement-hours-later/267055"> loss in 2004</a>, and said that it is unethical of him to stay on in power after the Gujarat riots. Just like Modi, she made a comeback, and that too to a historic success.

Smriti Irani: The woman who broke the Congress bastion

<ul><li><keyword id="6612" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Smriti-Irani">Smriti Irani</keyword> returns to be a Cabinet Minister with two ministries – Women &amp; Child Development along with Textiles.</li><li>Irani is the BJP MP from <keyword id="6360791" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="amethi">Amethi</keyword>.</li><li>She defeated Congress President Rahul Gandhi in the Amethi constituency.</li></ul>The Narendra Modi government has duly rewarded its star performer Smriti Irani, by allocating her two portfolios – Women &amp; Child Development along with Textiles. Irani, the BJP MP from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh managed a spectacular win this election against Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi. Irani, who held the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&amp;B) before the country went into elections, had been shuffled around many times in the cabinet. She had held the Human Resource Development Ministry and also Textiles later. The former television actress had entered politics in 2003, as she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Though she had lost to Rahul Gandhi at Amethi during the 2014 general elections, she managed a stunning turnaround with her relentless campaigning this time around. She had managed to cut Gandhi’s vote share by 12%, in the traditional Congress stronghold. Irani had ran elections for a Lok Sabha seat for the first time in 2004 from Chandni Chowk in Delhi. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/smriti-irani-winner-from-amethi-lok-sabha-seat/articleshow/69469872.cms">Smriti Irani: The woman who broke the Congress Bastion</a>

Smriti Irani gets two portfolios – Women & Child Development and Textiles

<table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6em; box-shadow: none; width: 914px; font-family: Merriweather; padding-bottom: 10px !important; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"></colgroup></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">Candidates </td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">Party </td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">Votes </td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">Rahul Gandhi </td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">INC </td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">413394</td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">43.86 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">Smriti Irani </td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">BJP </td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">468514</td><td style="border-width: 0.747071pt; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 2pt; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: bottom;">49.71 </td></tr></tbody></table> Data from Election Commission - The trends displayed are based on the data entry done by ARO/RO as when they complete these rounds and is subject to change. Only Result signed and declared by Returning officer has the statutory validity. The Congress stonghold, Amethi, is now the seat of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party president, lagged far behind the BJP candidate, <keyword id="6612" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Smriti-Irani">Smriti Irani</keyword>. The face off between the two candidates in 2014 was a win for Gandhi, but Irani managed to cut his vote count down by 12%. The tables turned out this time around with Irani leading over Gandhi over over 50,000 votes. The Gandhi legacy was undercut by a difference of 6% in vote share. Gandhi conceded defeat during a press conference he held after vote counting yesterday. Since Amethi was formed, non-Congress parties have only ever come into power twice. According to India Today-My Axis exit polls, Congress’ individual position wasn't as bright as compared to a Congress-led alliance coming into power. And, even that ‘popularity’ was only at a three percent margin as compared to BJP. It helps both parties that the Mahagathbandhan between the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) didn’t field their own candidate in Amethi. Gandhi has been called out for being missing in action, even failing to show up on the day of polling. Irani has been building on the ‘missing MP’ momentum by ensuring that her visibility poses a considerable challenge to Gandhi’s campaigning efforts. BJP President, Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath have been backing her efforts with appearances at public rallies in Amethi. During the 2014 <keyword id="43815" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-election">Lok Sabha election</keyword>, Irani may not have won but she had a severe impact on Gandhi’s margin of victory — by <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/lok-sabha-2019/story/lok-sabha-election-2019-amethi-priyanka-gandhi-vadra-smriti-irani-rahul-gandhi-1516073-2019-05-03">as much as</a> 12%. Gandhi came out on top but only with the lowest vote share ever recorded by a Congress candidate in Amethi. Congress and Uttar Pradesh BJP already took Amethi out from under Congress during the Assembly Elections in 2017, winning four out of the five seats up for grabs. And, even Gauriganj — where BJP lost — did not go to Congress, but to SP. The current situation in Amethi is a far cry from the days of Rajiv Gandhi — Rahul Gandhi’s father — when it was difficult for BJP to even have a party office in the constituency, let alone fly the party flag. The chances of winning in any constituency in Uttar Pradesh look rosier for Sonia Gandhi — member of Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s mother — who’s contesting the Lok Sabha Election from Raebarelli. And, as for Rahul Gandhi, his chances of winning in Wayanad, Kerala are more likely than in Amethi.

Amethi Lok Sabha Election 2019: Rahul Gandhi loses to Smriti Irani by over 50,000 votes

<keyword id="6360791" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Amethi">Amethi</keyword>, the Gandhian stronghold since 1947 has always dreamt of unparalleled growth-what with the Gandhi’s promising them the world, come every election season! It was first ruled upon by <keyword id="134281" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sanjay-Gandhi">Sanjay Gandhi</keyword>, followed by former Prime Minister <keyword id="12596" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Rajiv-Gandhi">Rajiv Gandhi</keyword>, an MP from the city for 10 consecutive years. Post Rajiv’s demise, Amethi was ‘inherited’ by his widow, <keyword id="689" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sonia-Gandhi">Sonia Gandhi</keyword> and now has been passed onto the Congress heir apparent, <keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword>. 
 
Seeing the obvious lack of growth and thereby the massive stated opportunity, during the elections in 2014, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and now Minister of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) Smriti Irani left no stone unturned to win the constituency for herself, ousting the Gandhi’s from their stronghold. Alas, that was not to be. Irani must have blamed her ‘rotten luck’ for her unexpected defeat and Rahul’s success, since a constituency, still counted as one of the country’s most deprived, surely needed a change in leadership. 
 
But then, nothing could be shoddier than the fact that even big names from the political class could not even get the town the very basic in facilities. In fact, the trump card played against it and left it as a victim. A victim of political brawls. 
 
Or if we just change a few words in what has been said so far, then maybe you will get a clearer picture of the debacle that Amethi is witnessing today and how much worse it could turn in the next few years, given the never-dying down tug-of-war. 
 It won’t be wrong to say that Amethi, right from the very beginning was a mere card which was used by the big political faces of the day. Inhabitants of Amethi thought that the political biggies would bring them the basic infrastructure they so desperately lacked. Instead, this place only made headlines for the pointless battles the political brass fought. The tide in fact turned for the worse in 1984, when ousted Gandhi bahu, Maneka fought a pitched battle against brother-in-law, Rajiv Gandhi, soon after her mother-in-law, his mother and the nation’s Prime Minister, <keyword id="6354478" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Indira-Gandhi">Indira Gandhi</keyword>’s assassination. Maneka fought tooth and nail, but lost to Rajiv by a massive margin, given the sympathy wave he was riding on soon after his mother’s untimely murder outside her own house, by one of her own bodyguards. 
 
Amethi, soon turned into a ground for political buffoonery, with over 40 independent candidates standing against the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, in the 1989 elections. But, despite the bofors’ scandal taint, Rajiv registered a sounding victory, with a margin of over two lakh votes. The astounding defeat notwithstanding, the trend continued and Independent candidates (in more than usual numbers) fought elections from Amethi. 
 During the 2014 <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> polls, BJP, very aggressively campaigned under the leadership of <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> with the slogan ‘congress-mukt Bharat’ (Congress-free India) and former model and TV actress <keyword id="371578" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Smriti-Zubin-Irani">Smriti Zubin Irani</keyword> was nominated as the BJP candidate from Amethi. Yet another competitor was the newly formed <keyword id="6354944" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword>’s (<keyword id="6356115" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="AAP">AAP</keyword>) poet-turned-member <keyword id="540848" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="kumar-vishwas">Kumar Vishwas</keyword>, who wanted to give Rahul a run for his money. However, despite the several failings of the Congress party in Amethi and more so that of the Gandhi-clan, the town voted back into power Rahul Gandhi. 
 
The oldest scuffle ground for BJP and Congress, Amethi, in 2014 came under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and it experienced another tussle when their leader disappeared and reports published afterwards informed about his ‘vacation’. Rahul’s biggest opponent, BJP candidate from Amethi, Smriti Irani, without missing out on a chance reached out to the people of Amethi and distributed compensation cheques to the farmers who were dying of unseasonal rains. Not just this but Irani also played a card against Gandhi here and accused him of ‘holidaying’ when people of his constituency were in trouble. 
 With no choice left this time, Gandhi in his reply pointed the finger at the <keyword id="6360789" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Modi-Government">Modi government</keyword> for scrapping the Food Park plan that he claimed could have generated employment for hundreds in Amethi. 
 
All the fighting aside, the real concern now is if Amethi gained anything from all the mud-slinging over the decades. The answer to that is that Amethi today is known for all the wrong reasons. Far from being a developed township it could have been, given the political attention it has had over the years, it is today known as one of the country’s most impoverished regions, for the very same reasons. And if the fashion persists, it’ll only be a case of from the frying pan to the fire for the residents of Amethi. 
 
Image: indiatimes

Amethi: the victim of political brawls

The tallies for each constituency are in, and the arithmetic for the next government is being worked out. If the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (<keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords">BJP</keyword>) manages to hold onto their alliances, the stage will be set for Modi 3.0. However, if the Congress-led INDIA bloc somehow lures major parties like JD(U) and TDP, they might have a chance, though it is a long shot at the moment. However, with the results out for all 543 constituencies, much has been revealed about the general attitude of the country’s voters. For instance, despite the almost-unshakable belief that the BJP will sweep almost all 80 <keyword id="19894922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh" source="keywords">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> seats — especially after the Ram Mandir inauguration — the party shockingly only managed to win only 33. Some experts speculate that this outcome came from the party failing to address core issues such as employment and economic anxiety, and instead choosing to focus on religious divide to win ballots. Expert institutions, such as Bernstein and Citi Research, have now noted that new spendings may now thus become focused on the poor, women, farmers and rural areas, especially considering how rapidly BJP’s <a href="https://bfsi.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/bias-of-markets-expected-rural-agriculture-to-be-the-new-focus-areas-reports/110728041">vote share has dropped in the rural seats</a>. For context, rural constituencies make up 60% of the total constituencies in India, according to The Economic Times. However, this is not to say that the party has clear favourites among the more developed and richer states either. Many of the richest Indian states have expressed mixed to lukewarm reactions towards BJP this election cycle, and even delivered unexpected shockers. For instance, the NDA lost a lot of ground in Uttar Pradesh, <keyword id="19897316" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maharashtra" source="keywords">Maharashtra</keyword> and Rajasthan — some states with the biggest economies in the country. As for the current scenario, the party favourite remains mixed. Considering that the country has delayed the National Survey by four years, we have to rely on independent sources to come up with more current state-wide economic statistics. Therefore, as per the India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), <keyword id="19896017" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karnataka" source="keywords">Karnataka</keyword>, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat formed the five largest state economies in India in the 2023 Financial Year. Let’s take a look at how India’s wealthiest states voted in <keyword id="20886626" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-2024" source="keywords">Lok Sabha 2024</keyword>. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Karnataka" comment="subhead" text="Karnataka">Karnataka</cmsannotation> Despite struggles with making headway in the South, the BJP had made a clean sweep in Karnataka, bagging 25 seats in the 2019 general elections. While the BJP-JD(S) alliance has managed to retain a majority in the southern state with 17 seats, <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword> made an impressive comeback this year, winning 9 seats compared to the 1 in the last election cycle. JD(S) managed to capture the remaining two seats. As for the four Bengaluru constituencies, BJP managed to cling onto all of them as well, with Tejasvi Surya in Bengaluru South, Shobha Karandlaje in Bengaluru North, P. C. Mohan in Bengaluru Central and C. N. Manjunath in Bengaluru Rural. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Uttar Pradesh" comment="subhead" text="Uttar Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</cmsannotation> As mentioned earlier, the biggest controversies came out of Uttar Pradesh. Housing prominent figures such as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state has been widely considered as a stronghold for the saffron party, who had won a whopping 62 seats in 2019. However, resident voters were determined to take to the booths to voice their dissent this year. Of the 80 UP constituencies — by far the state with the largest number of seats — 37 were won by the Samajwadi Party. Meanwhile, the BJP held onto 33 seats, and the INC 6. The difference is stark: BJP lost 27 of the seats it won in the previous election cycle. Many prominent figures were dethroned this year, including Smriti Irani in Amethi, Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra in Kheri and Maneka Gandhi in Sultanpur. However, perhaps the biggest shocker came from the fact that the BJP also lost the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, which housed the contentious Ram Temple. Awadesh Prasad of the Samajwadi Party will be chairing the constituency for the next five years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, contested for the Varanasi seat, beating INC’s Ajay Rai by a margin of 2.5 lakh votes. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Maharashtra" comment="subhead" text="Maharashtra">Maharashtra</cmsannotation> Another of the biggest losses for the BJP also saw a resurgence for Congress in the state with the highest <keyword id="35050" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gdp" source="Orion">GDP</keyword>. While the NDA had clinched 41 out of the 48 seats in the previous 2019 elections, it managed to bag a paltry 9 this time around. While this is a monumental loss for the ruling party, they managed to hold firmly onto most of the coastal Konkan belt. Headed by the Mahayuti alliance, the BJP won 7 of the 12 coastal seats, including in Palghar, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg and Mumbai North. Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (UBT) maintained its hold on half of the six Mumbai constituencies. Of the four Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) seats, NCP (SP) won Bhiwandi, Shinde-led Shiv Sena won Thane and Kalyan and BJP won Palghar. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Tamil Nadu" comment="subhead" text="Tamil Nadu">Tamil Nadu</cmsannotation> Of all the economic powerhouses, Tamil Nadu was the only state untouched by the BJP this year. Out of the 39 seats in the state, the MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) came out victorious in 22, the INC won 9, while a coalition of other parties bagged the remaining seats. This was a massive win for the DMK, especially considering the two major opposition parties, the AIADMK and BJP, had come together to contest this year. Considered by many as BJP's most promising candidate, K Annamalai, too lost to DMK’s Ganapathi P Rajkumar in Coimbatore. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Gujarat" comment="subhead" text="Gujarat">Gujarat</cmsannotation> While most of the other states endured major plot-twists, the story has remained almost the same for Narendra Modi’s home state, Gujarat. As per final polls, the BJP won 25 of the total 26 seats in the state, falling short of a full clean sweep due to INC clutching the final one. However, the INC win in the Banaskantha Lok Sabha seat was no small victory, considering this was the first time in a decade that the party had made ground in the western state. Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah contested and won from state capital Gandhinagar by a massive margin of nearly 7.5 lakh votes.

Lok Sabha 2024: How BJP, Congress and other parties have performed in states with largest economies in India

<keyword id="19894922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh" source="keywords">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> has strong and established women leaders but, ironically, the majority of this '<keyword id="19911646" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nari-Shakti" source="keywords">Nari Shakti</keyword>' does not belong to this state. Barring a few, most of the women leaders have come from other states and after contesting several elections, they have consolidated their position in Uttar Pradesh. Senior Congress leader <keyword id="19935990" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sonia-Gandhi" source="keywords">Sonia Gandhi</keyword> leads the brigade of political talent imported from outside Uttar Pradesh. A native of Italy who was living in New Delhi with her in-laws, the Gandhi bahu made her political debut from Amethi in 1999 and then contested and won the Rae Bareli seat from 2004 to 2019. Sonia Gandhi began campaigning in Amethi from 1984 when her husband Rajiv Gandhi made his political debut. When Sonia Gandhi finally took a plunge in politics after the former Prime Minister's demise, she chose the family turf, Amethi. The former Congress President was at one time seen as a prime ministerial candidate, though she never claimed the position. Another woman politician who was seen as a prospective prime ministerial candidate is BSP supremo, <keyword id="19897516" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mayawati" source="keywords">Mayawati</keyword>. Mayawati was born in Delhi but her political 'karambhoomi' became Uttar Pradesh when the first SP-BSP government came into existence in 1993 in the state. Circumstances propelled Mayawati into the Uttar Pradesh chief minister's chair in 1995 and over the years, she has emerged as a politician who cannot be ignored. Actor-turned-politician, <keyword id="19968072" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hema-Malini" source="keywords">Hema Malini</keyword>, who is seeking her third term from Mathura, belongs to Tamil Nadu and has spent most of her life in Mumbai. She contested and won the 2014 and 2019 elections from Mathura. Hema Malini calls herself 'Krishna ki gopi' and claims to have a divine connect with Mathura. Among others in this list is Smriti Irani, who is seeking her second term from Amethi and originally belongs to Delhi. However, after winning Amethi in 2019, she calls herself 'Amethi ki bitiya'. She has even built her home in Gauriganj in Amethi and is well versed with local politics and the local people. Maneka Gandhi, who originally belongs to Delhi, is the senior-most MP among these women, having won her first election in 1989 on a Janata Dal ticket. She later joined the BJP and has always chosen Uttar Pradesh to contest elections - first Pilibhit and then Sultanpur. Jaya Prada, another actor-turned-politician, was born in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh but chose Uttar Pradesh to kickstart her political career even though she had earlier joined the TDP. Jaya Prada successfully contested the Rampur Lok Sabha seat in 2004 and 2009 elections on a Samajwadi Party ticket. Later, she joined the BJP in 2019. Dimple Yadav, senior SP leader and wife of Akhilesh Yadav, originally belongs to Uttarakhand but made Uttar Pradesh her home after her marriage to Akhilesh. Dimple Yadav began her career by losing a bypoll to Raj Babbar of the Congress from Firozabad in 2009 but won the Kannauj seat in a 2012 bye-election. She won the Kannauj seat in 2014 but lost in 2019. However, Dimple Yadav won the Mainpuri bye-election after the demise of Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2022. Among all these women leaders, it is only Union Minister Anupriya Patel of Apna Dal (S) who was born and brought up in Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Interestingly, even in the past, several women leaders who made a mark in Indian politics were born outside Uttar Pradesh but chose to contest polls from the state. Former Lok Sabha Speaker, Meira Kumar, made her debut in politics when she won a bye-election from Bijnor in 1985. Meira Kumar, who is the daughter of late veteran politician Jagjivan Ram, was born in Bihar. Former Delhi Chief Minister, late Sheila Dikshit, won her first election from Kannauj in 1984. She was born in Kapurthala in Punjab. Freedom fighter Sucheta Kripalani, the first woman Chief Minister in India, who headed the Uttar Pradesh government, also belonged to Punjab but won the Assembly polls from Mehdawal in Sant Kabir Nagar. --IANS amita/rad

Uttar Pradesh's political 'Nari Shakti' does not belong to it

<keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword>, the president of the Congress party, conceded defeat to the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party in a press conference on Wednesday evening. He even conceded defeat to Smriti Irani after the vote count shows her commanding the lead in Amethi, a Congress stronghold since its formation. The saffron party is racing ahead with a lead in over 340 seats, it looks as though even an alliance won’t be enough to give Congress the majority. Gandhi congratulated Modi on his win and thanked all Congress workers for their contribution towards the party’s campaigning efforts. According to him, BJP and Congress have only ideological differences which he believes can be resolved, if both parties choose to cooperate. He ended the post-election press conference with the solemn words, ‘Pyaar kabhi nahi haar ta hai’ (love never loses). Rahul’s curious case in Amethi Since Amethi was formed, non-Congress parties have only ever come into power twice. It’s also one of two constituencies from where Congress President, Rahul Gandhi, has decided to contest the Lok Sabha election this year. Gandhi was been called out for being missing in action, even failing to show up on the day of polling. Irani has been building on the ‘missing MP’ momentum by ensuring that her visibility poses a considerable challenge to Gandhi’s campaigning efforts. BJP President, Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath have been backing her efforts with appearances at public rallies in Amethi. During the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Irani may not have won but she had a severe impact on Gandhi’s margin of victory — by as much as 12%. Gandhi came out on top but only with the lowest vote share ever recorded by a Congress candidate in Amethi. Congress and Uttar Pradesh BJP already took Amethi out from under Congress during the Assembly Elections in 2017, winning four out of the five seats up for grabs. And, even Gauriganj — where BJP lost — did not go to Congress, but to SP. The current situation in Amethi is a far cry from the days of Rajiv Gandhi — Rahul Gandhi’s father — when it was difficult for BJP to even have a party office in the constituency, let alone fly the party flag. The chances of winning in any constituency in Uttar Pradesh look rosier for Sonia Gandhi — member of Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s mother — who’s contesting the Lok Sabha Election from Raebarelli. And, as for Rahul Gandhi, his chances of winning in Wayanad, Kerala are more likely than in Amethi.

Rahul Gandhi concedes Amethi — and India — to the BJP

<ul><li><keyword id="151350" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hardeep-Singh-Puri">Hardeep Singh Puri</keyword> will be in charge of civil aviation and housing &amp; urban affairs.</li><li>Two career diplomats, S Jaishankar and Hardeep Singh Puri, have found space in Narendra Modi's new cabinet.</li><li>Puri was India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations between 2009 and 2013.</li><li>Puri, a former member of the India's Foreign Service, joined the BJP in 2014.</li></ul>Going into his second term, Narendra Modi has roped in two career diplomats into ministerial roles, S Jaishankar and Hardeep Singh Puri. Puri has been vested with two very important ministries - civil aviation, and housing &amp; urban affairs. He is also the junior minister in commerce and industry, which is headed by Piyush Goyal. The portfolio signals the amount of trust Modi has vested in Puri who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) only in 2014, and lost his debut in electoral politics from Amritsar this year. Ailing exports has been unresolved issue for the Indian economy for a few years now. The country's civil aviation sector has fallen from grace, and the most recent crisis in Jet Airways has been a sign of the many woes that hound the sector. With the reduction in number of planes operating, airfares have spiked in recent months bringing the growth in passenger traffic to a grinding halt. Aside from these two ministries, Puri will be spearheading two of Modi's pet projects- housing and smart cities. The government has promised 'housing for all' by 2022 and Puri will be responsible in picking up the programme's pace. The Urban Affairs department will be responsible for rolling out smart city projects, which have also been one of Modi govenrment's flagship programmes in the first term. Puri, a former member of the India's Foreign Service, served as India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) between 2009 and 2013. He joined the BJP in 2014 and his wife Lakshmi Puri is the Assistant Secretary General at the UN. In his time at the foreign service, Puri served in key countries like Brazil, Japan, Sri Lanka, and United Kingdom. He was also the coordinator for the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Negotiations. However, his attempt to garner votes as a politician did not pay off. He lost the 2019 elections when he fought from Amritsar. In 2014, former finance minister Arun Jaitley fought from the constituency but he also lost. In both cases, the Modi wave did not help. Even as the party swept a majority of the seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian Parliament, the candidates from Amritsar failed. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/new-cabinet-ministers-smriti-irani-gets-women-child-development-and-textiles-ministry/articleshow/69594920.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Smriti Irani gets two portfolios – Women &amp; Child Development and Textiles</a>

India's former representative to UN is the country's new minister for civil aviation and two of Modi's pet projects

<ul><li>By 2030, half of <keyword id="8300256" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="south-asian-youth">South Asian youth</keyword> will not be able to find a decent job for the lack of skills. </li><li>In India, as many as 53% will leave secondary school without getting skills needed for a decent job. </li><li>According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), India’s unemployment rate stood at 8.45% </li></ul>By 2030, half of South Asian youth will not be able to find a decent job for the lack of skills. This is as per a warning by UNICEF head Henrietta H Fore. “Every day, nearly 100,000 young South Asians – a large sports stadium of young people – enter the labour market, almost half of them are not on track to find <keyword id="8300254" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="21st-century-jobs">21st century jobs</keyword>. South Asia is at a critical juncture, with a limited window during which it can reap significant demographic dividends from its talented and capable youth,” said Fore. According to her, skills of its youth will define the economic status of a country. “Get it right, and millions could be lifted out of poverty. Fail to do so, and economic growth will falter, youth despair will rise, and further talent will be lost to other regions,” she warns. Youth on track to reach learning benchmark <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Country </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2019 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2030 (Projection) </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bangladesh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">26% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">55% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bhutan </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">47% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">81% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">19% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">47% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Maldives </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">16% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">46% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Nepal </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">18% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">40% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Pakistan </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">18% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">40% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sri Lanka </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">61% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">68% </td></tr></tbody></table>Source: Special edition of GBC-Education’s 2030 Skills Scorecard Unemployment: A barrier to India’s economic growth India, in particular, has to worry about its current and future unemployment too. <a href="https://unemploymentinindia.cmie.com/">According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE)</a>, its unemployment rate stood at 8.45%. As more sectors fall into the throes of the ongoing slowdown— like auto, followed by telecom and IT — joblessness is all set to rise. Three major technology giants — Capgemini, Infosys and Cognizant — are cutting as many as 500 senior level jobs. Further, the future of as many as 100,000 employees of BSNL’s vendors is in limbo— as the telecom operator is yet to pay ₹<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/100000-people-working-with-bsnl-vendors-are-likely-to-go-empty-handed-even-as-the-government-compensates-the-employees/articleshow/71916430.cms">200 billion</a> in dues. The UNICEF chief urged the Indian government to take initiatives that can pave the way for a better future. Smriti Irani, Minister for Women and Child Development said that India will start skilling<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/yuwaah-india-will-start-skilling-its-youth-starting-from-those-who-are-ten-years-old/articleshow/71851949.cms"> its youth between 10 and 24 years of age</a>. The initiative supported by UNICEF, aims to engage over 300 million youngsters in education, skill training or employment over the next ten years. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/learn-these-6-technical-skills-for-a-career-in-software-development-and-its-more-than-just-programming-languages/articleshow/71916321.cms">Learn these 6 technical skills for a career in software development — and its more than just programming languages </a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/yuwaah-india-will-start-skilling-its-youth-starting-from-those-who-are-ten-years-old/articleshow/71851949.cms">India will start skilling its youth starting from those who are ten years old</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/100000-people-working-with-bsnl-vendors-are-likely-to-go-empty-handed-even-as-the-government-compensates-the-employees/articleshow/71916430.cms">100,000 people working with BSNL vendors are likely to go empty handed</a>

Over half of Indian students will not have skills for 21st century jobs, warns UNICEF

Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>, who was in Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University in Lucknow as a chief guest on convocation, was disrupted by protesters, who were eventually escorted out. 
 
Modi’s speech was disrupted when students started chanting anti-Modi slogans. 
 
“Narendra Modi Murdabad,” students raised. 
 
 
 
Meanwhile, Modi also broke his silence on the suicide of Dalit scholar in Hyderabad. 
 
“When I received this news that a young man Rohith committed suicide, I thought about the condition of his parents,” said Modi. 
 
Students are protesting Rohith’s suicide, demaning a probe into it. HRD Minister Smriti Irani said it was not a Dalit vs non-Dalit battle. 
 
Modi hinted that these issues should not be politicised. 
 
“There must have been reasons, politics is different. The truth that India lost her son,” said Modi. 
 
(Images: PIB, ANI)

PM Modi breaks silence on Dalit scholar suicide; slogan shouting students escorted out

<ul><li>A historic win will make Narendra Modi the first non-Congress Prime Minister to get re-elected.</li><li>This was the first time since 1984 a majority government has been re-elected.</li><li>Visit <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Business Insider India's home page</a> for more stories</li></ul>Narendra Modi has created history by becoming the first non-Congress Prime Minister to get re-elected in the 72 years of India's independence. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in 353 seats compared to its rival the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) that is ahead in 90 seats. The BJP made history even five years back when it clocked in a full majority, the first for any government since 1984. A full majority twice in a row is an even bigger feat for Modi and the BJP. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 No single rival was fighting Modi to win on his/her own. A motley crew of former foes were waiting for the final tally before they could stitch a suitable coalition that would end Modi's reign. However, as the counting progressed on May 23, it became evident very early that the the room for any political manoeuvre was limited, and eventually, even that disappeared. The Indian National Congress, the only national party other than the BJP, nearly doubled its seat count in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India's Parliament, but for Rahul Gandhi, Congress' President, could not escape the embarrassment of having lost a seat, Amethi, that was seen as family bastion for decades. A grand alliance of regional parties, led by Bahujan Samaj Party's Mayawati and Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, pitched itself as an alternative to Modi's strongman vibe. However, the camaraderie failed to strike a chord with the voters of Uttar Pradesh-- India's most populous state that is home to these two parties. The music stopped for the Mahagathbandhan when hoards of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/narendra-modi-varanasi-up-lok-sabha-election-result-2019/articleshow/69455114.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">people in Varanasi</a> danced to Modi's tunes on April 25. The final result for the grand alliance were 15 Lok Sabha seats. Modi's rivals cried against the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-government-wants-you-to-believe-that-demonetisation-didnt-slow-down-the-economy/articleshow/67785050.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">whimsical demonetisation</a>, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/unemployment-in-india-is-at-its-highest-in-45-years-says-an-indian-daily-citing-an-undisclosed-jobs-survey/articleshow/67769020.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">peaking unemployment</a>, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/congress-promises-farm-loan-waiver-after-bjp-offers-minimum-income-support-in-budget-2019/articleshow/67827116.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">mounting farm distress</a>, and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/patriot-act-godse-debate-kamal-haasan-vs-sadhvi-pragya-bjp/articleshow/69372552.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">uneasy polarisation</a>, but none of that left as much as a scratch on Modi's chances. Even the alleged scandal in the government deal to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets did not cut ice with the country's voters. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 The adolescent Indian democracy was looking for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/jlf-gandhi-vs-modi-bjp-vs-congress-dont-understand-indian-voters/articleshow/67685811.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">a Presidential clash</a> but the opposition could not nominate a powerful alternative to Modi. The writing was on the wall but the regional satraps and national figureheads continued playing hardball with each other, and the potential of a desperate <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-avengers-endgame-lesson-for-modi-rahul-gandhis-congress-and-mahagathbandhan/articleshow/69138766.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">anti-Modi coalition</a> was never fully realised. The momentum was so strong in Modi's favour that even the terror accused Sadhvi Pragya Thakur-- who was also reprimanded for calling <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/patriot-act-godse-debate-kamal-haasan-vs-sadhvi-pragya-bjp/articleshow/69372552.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse a 'patriot'</a>-- <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sadhvi-pragya-thakur-vs-dijvijaya-singh-bhopal-lok-sabha-election-results-2019/articleshow/69456794.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">won Bhopal with a huge margin</a>. The north-south divide The Modi wave was strong and pervasive but it limited largely to the north of India. The wave <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/exit-polls-2019-no-modi-wave-in-tamil-nadu-karnataka-kerala/articleshow/69402617.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">once again lost momentum</a> south of the Vindhya range of mountains, despite its best efforts. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 The BJP definitely improved its tally in Karnataka but it could not make any further headway into the other four major states-- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. While the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) swept Tamil Nadu with 31 out of 39 seats, Jaganmohan Reddy's victory in Andhra Pradesh marked <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/ap-andhra-pradesh-assembly-elections-2019-jagan-reddys-win-marks-the-rise-of-the-prodigal-son/articleshow/69462170.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">the rise of the prodigal son</a>. Reddy's immediate neighbour to the west, K Chandrshekhar Rao successfully <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/telangana-lok-sabha-election-result-2019-trs-vs-congress-vs-tdp-vs-bjp/articleshow/69445813.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">protected his territory</a>, Telangana, for a second time in less than a year. Rao called for a premature assembly election in Telangana in 2018 and came out of it with flying colours. The only other place Modi faced <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-tmc-and-bjp-are-fighting-over-the-nrc-in-west-bengal/articleshow/69194392.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">any challenge was in West Bengal</a>. Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee did not pretend to play nice as BJP marched on to claim the eastern state. The clash of titans stirred the volatile electorate with a long history of violence. The BJP may have ended up second in the state but it bagged 18 precious seats that established the party as a serious player in the state for the first time ever. None of this was a surprise. BJP smelled the resentment against the local leadership in the east, and invested itself heavily. Modi himself addressed 17 rallies in Bengal, the most after Uttar Pradesh. The party cadre was funded and fuelled in Odisha and the north-eastern states and all of this paid off rich dividends, much on expected lines. Swinging states Six months earlier, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/here-are-some-reasons-why-indias-ruling-party-lost-to-its-main-rival-in-three-very-important-state-elections/articleshow/67057122.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">BJP had to face defeat in state elections</a> in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. The party had just whisked past the halfway mark in Gujarat, Modi's home state. These results rejuvenated the Congress and, may be, made it a bit complacent too. Within six months, the same states swung back to voting for the BJP. In Modi's home state Gujarat, the BJP is leading in all 26 seats, in 9 out of 11 seats in Chhattisgarh, and in all but one seat in MP-- a stark contrast to the picture of struggle in the assembly elections in December. In Bihar too, the NDA is miles ahead of competition-- leading in 32 out of the state's 40 seats-- including in high-profile constituencies like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/kanhaiya-kumar-vs-giriraj-singh-begusarai-lok-sabha-election-result-2019/articleshow/69453161.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Begusarai</a> and Patna Sahib. Debutante politician Kanhaiya Kumar, from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has less than half the number of votes as rival from BJP, the veteran Giriraj Singh, who was also a minister in Modi's government. In Patna Sahib, sitting Parliamentarian Shatrughan Sinha is trailing Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who has over 55% of the votes. There 17 other candidates in this constituency. Congress' solace Congress is leading in Punjab and Kerala, while its biggest ally the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is cornering maximum votes in Tamil Nadu. In Kerala's Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi is ahead with 67% of the votes where there are 20 other candidates. It was a face saver for Gandhi as he lost the family bastion Amethi to the firebrand from BJP, Smriti Irani. India’s markets celebrated the results. The Sensex hit <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sensex-rallies-550-points-as-bjp-leads-convincingly-in-vote-counting/articleshow/69458099.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">the 40,000 mark for the first time ever</a> as investors hoped that the stability of continuing policies may the give the economy the much-needed fillip. His electoral feats and political might notwithstanding, those who care for it will blame Modi for demonetisation forever. Modi may have pitched himself as a pro-business reformer but experts have expressed fear that if he gets a second term, his policies are likely to be more socialist and akin to the proposals of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/19/opinion/india-elections-modi.html">Bernie Sanders in the US</a>, and not like the policies of Ronald Reagan. Nonetheless, the baton remains with Modi. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-election-results-fii-watch-narendra-modis-new-cabinet-and-policy-decisions/articleshow/69479558.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Foreign investors are thrilled about Modi's win but don't know what to expect from him</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international-leaders-are-already-congratulating-narendra-modi-for-victory-in-indias-general-election/articleshow/69461194.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Naveen Patnaik’s BJD leads in Assembly and Lok Sabha seats in early trends</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/ap-andhra-pradesh-assembly-elections-2019-jagan-reddys-win-marks-the-rise-of-the-prodigal-son/articleshow/69462170.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Jagan Reddy’s win marks the rise of the prodigal son</a>

You Searched For "smriti irani lost" and got 12 results

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