Set for third term as prime minister, Modi failed to equal this Nehru record

Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems all set for his third consecutive term in the office with the BJP-led NDA winning 292 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. He will be the second prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to come to power for three straight terms in the country.

However, Modi failed to equal Nehru’s record of retaining power with an absolute majority in his third election held in 1962. The BJP won 240 seats, 32 short of majority mark of 272 seats, and could touch 292 with its allies in the Lok Sabha elections whose results were announced on Tuesday (June 4).

Since the BJP failed to reach the magic number, Modi now will be leading a minority government with the support of its allies that takes the NDA tally to 292 seats.

Nehru served as the prime minister for a period of 16 years and 286 days from 1947 until 1964. Nehru was elected the prime minister after the Congress won the first general elections in 1951-52 and then in 1957 and 1962.

In 1962, the Lok Sabha polls were held between February 19 and 25 to elect members of the third Lok Sabha. In these polls, Nehru-led Congress won a landslide victory bagging 44.7 per cent of the votes and 361 of the 494 elected seats. 248 were seats needed for a majority in 1962. Nehru, however, passed away in the middle of his third term in May 1964.

The Lok Sabha elections were held in seven phases between April 19 and June 1, while the results were declared on June 4. The BJP-led NDA, which was eyeing to cross the 400 mark, could end up winning only 292 seats with the Opposition INDIA bloc giving a tough fight and finishing with 234 seats.

The NDA had bagged 353 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, with the BJP alone crossing the 300 mark.