To be sure, at 10.3% of the total votes polled, it is still in double digits unlike what used to be the case from 1996 to 2009 elections. What is even more interesting is the fact that the median vote share of the winning candidate has only fallen by 2.5 percentage points between 2019 and 2024.
For the BJP, the median victory margin has decreased to 12.1% from 20% in 2019. However, this number has fallen marginally by 1 percentage point to 7.7% in 2024 for the Congress party. The decrease in median victory margin for National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidates as a whole is similar to that of the BJP.
However, Congress and its alliance partners as a whole have witnessed a fall of 3 percentage points in this number between 2019 and 2024 to 9% percentage points. Even for candidates belonging to non-BJP and non-Congress alliance-based parties, this number has fallen to 8% in 2024 — a 2 percentage points decrease from 2019. An HT analysis of election results shows that vote share of winning candidates and median victory margins have fallen across party lines and alliances between 2019 and 2024.
Aisha Patel is a dedicated Indian correspondent with a deep understanding of the nation’s diverse affairs. With a background in Indian culture, politics, and current events, she provides in-depth analysis and timely reporting on domestic issues within India.