Published 00:49 IST, December 13th 2024
Will BJP Benefit With Simultaneous Polls? Story So Far
The Union Cabinet approved the 'One Nation, One Election,' bill in the parliament, marking a significant step towards the electoral process.

New Delhi: The BJP-led NDA government in a big move approved the One Nation, One Election bill in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. The move will follow up with a comprehensive bill which is expected to be tabled in the Parliament in the ongoing winter session. Bringing a legislature on conducting simultaneous elections is one of BJP's big ticket poll promise and major reforms which it advocates will save crores of taxpayers money, time, resources and prevent the country from being in election-mode all the time.
As the bill is yet to be tabled in the Parliament and discussed, let's take a look at whether simultaneous polls have benefited the saffron party in states when they took place along with the Lok Sabha polls or in the same year, in the past.
Simultaneous elections in 2024
In 2024, along with Lok Sabha, four state assemblies including Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha also went for polls simultaneously.
Lok Sabha Results
The BJP-led NDA returned to power in the Centre, though the saffron party failed to achieve absolute majority on its own, however, it was a big victory for the BJP to return to power for the third consecutive time under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
State election Results
- In Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP retained its government while it dethroned Naveen Patnaik's government in Odisha.
- In Andhra Pradesh also, BJP alliance partner TDP led by Chandrababu Naidu defeated Jagan Reddy's government.
- In Sikkim, the incumbent government led by Sikkim Krantikari Morcha under the leadership of Prem Singh Tamang retained the power.
So out of 4 state Assembly elections that happened along with Lok Sabha polls, BJP-led NDA won 3 of them.
Simultaneous elections in 2019
In 2019, 7 state assemblies including Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand also witnessed polls. However, Assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand were held later.
Lok Sabha Results
BJP-led NDA under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi registered its biggest ever victory in the general elections when the alliance together won over 350 seats and BJP alone winning over 300 seats.
State Election Results
- In Arunachal Pradesh, BJP retained power under the leadership of CM Pema Khandu.
- In Andhra Pradesh, BJP alliance partner TDP lost the state to YSRCP Jaganmohan Reddy.
- In Odisha, BJD government under CM Naveen Patnaik retained power.
- In Sikkim, Sikkim Democratic Front led by Pawan Kumar Chamling lost the elections against Sikkim Krantikari Morcha under Prem Singh Tamang. Sikkim Democratic Front was an NDA ally while Sikkim Krantikari Morcha joined the NDA after the results.
- In Haryana, the BJP retained power under the leadership of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
- In Maharashtra, the BJP emerged as the single largest party but failed to form the government after pre-poll alliance partner Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray broke the alliance and formed MVA with NCP and Congress.
- In Jharkhand, the BJP lost polls to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Congress under the leadership of Hemant Soren.
So out of 7 Assembly elections, BJP won 4 of them while in Maharashtra, it emerged as the single largest party.
Simultaneous elections in 2014
In 2014, Assembly elections in 8 states including Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir went for polls.
Lok Sabha Results
In Lok Sabha, the BJP-led NDA which fought elections on the face of Narendra Modi, who was Gujarat Chief Minister, for the first time, emerged victorious as the election saw a complete rout of the Congress and its alliance partners. The BJP secured majority of its own while the NDA tally crossed 300 for the first time.
Narendra Modi took oath as Prime Minister for the first time.
State Election Results
- In Arunachal Pradesh, Congress under the leadership of Nabam Tuki retained power.
- In Andhra Pradesh, Congress under the leadership of Kiran Kumar Reddy lost the elections to TDP-BJP alliance under the leadership of Chandrababu Naidu.
- In Odisha, BJD government under CM Naveen Patnaik retained power.
- In Sikkim, Sikkim Democratic Front led by Pawan Kumar Chamling also retained power and become part of the NDA alliance.
- In Telangana, which was part of United Andhra Pradesh before polls, went for its first Assembly elections. It was Telangana Rashtra Samithi under the leadership of K Chandrasekhar Rao who won the elections.
- In Haryana, Congress government under Bhupinder Singh Hooda lost power to BJP’s Manohar Lal Khattar.
- In Maharashtra, Congress-NCP led alliance lost the power to BJP and Devendra Fadnavis become the chief minister for the first time.
- In Jharkhand, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Congress alliance lost the elections to BJP and All Jharkhand Students Union alliance led by Raghubar Das.
- In Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference and Congress led alliance lost the power to Peoples’ Democratic Party which later entered into post poll alliance with the BJP and Mehbooba Mufti become the chief minister.
So out of 8 Assembly elections, BJP won 5 of them.
Simultaneous elections in 2009
Lok Sabha Results
In 2009 Lok Sabha election, Congress-led UPA alliance won the elections and retained the power at the Centre. Incumbent Prime Minister Manmohan Singh continued and took oath as PM for the second consecutive time.
State Election Results
- In Arunachal Pradesh, Congress under the leadership of Dorjee Khandu retained power.
- In Andhra Pradesh, Congress under the leadership of CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy retained power.
- In Odisha, BJD government under CM Naveen Patnaik retained power.
- In Sikkim also, Sikkim Democratic Front led by Pawan Kumar Chamling also retained power.
- In Haryana, Congress government under Bhupinder Singh Hooda defeated the BJP and retained power.
- In Maharashtra also, Congress-NCP led alliance retained power and Ashok Chavan continued as Chief Minister.
- In Jharkhand, Madhu Koda lost the elections to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and BJP-led alliance and Shibu Soren become the chief minister.
So out of 7 Assembly elections, BJP emerged victorious in just one while 5 were won by the Congress and its alliance partners.
Simultaneous elections in 2004
Lok Sabha Results
In 2004, BJP-led NDA under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee lost the power the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). The state assemblies that year too saw a similar trend.
State Election Results
State Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and Sikkim took place simultaneously along with the Lok Sabha in April-May while polling in Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh were held in September–October.
- In Arunachal Pradesh, Congress won the election winning a total of 34 seats.
- In Andhra Pradesh, Congress won the election winning a total of 185 seats.
- In Karnataka, the BJP emerged as the single largest party while Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) won 65 and 58 seats.
- In Odisha, BJD formed the government under CM Naveen Patnaik. The Congress and BJP won 38 and 32 seats respectively.
- In Sikkim, the Sikkim Democratic Front contested 32 seats and emerged victorious on 31 of them.
- In Maharashtra, Congress-NCP led alliance defeated the BJP-Shiv Sena led alliance.
So out of 6 Assembly elections, it was Congress party which won majority of them.
Going by the trend seen in Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections in the last two decades from 2004 - 2024, results have tilted more in favour of the party which emerged victorious in the general elections.
So if simultaneous elections are held in the near future, 2029, chances are that it may help the ruling BJP-led NDA alliance.
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Updated 00:49 IST, December 13th 2024