With the 2024 Lok Sabha Election results announced, the winning party, in this case, the NDA, will have to prove the support of the majority of MPs to form the government.
In the current scenario, the BJP won 240 seats and the NDA clinched 292 seats. The principal opposition party Congress bagged 99 seats, and the INDIA bloc together won 233 seats.
What is the Magic Number to Form Government?
In India, elections are conducted for an assembly and Parliament in which people elect their representatives for the state and Union government, respectively.
In the parliamentary election, polling takes place in 543 constituencies across the country in which MPs are elected for every Lok Sabha constituency.
A party or coalition must win 272 Lok Sabha seats, or a majority of at least 50%, in order to form a government. This guarantees that they will have enough support to enact laws and run the government efficiently. The party can form a government on its own if it wins more than half of the seats in the Lok Sabha.
If no single party wins with an absolute majority, the leading parties will try to form a coalition with smaller parties. While some alliances are established before the elections, some are negotiated after the polls. Some can even shift during the term of a given government.
When no party or alliance reaches an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha, a hung parliament takes place. During such circumstances, the party trying to form the government will have to take support from other political parties.
What Happens After the Election?
The Election Commission hands over the list of newly-elected MPs to President Droupadi Murmu, who, in accordance with protocol, will summon the single largest party to form the government.
The winning party or the coalition (the coming together of different parties when there is a shortage of majority for a single party) will nominate one of its members to be the Prime Minister. In turn, the PM will select the ministers to assume different responsibilities in the cabinet.
After an election, each winning candidate will be handed over a certificate of election by the Returning Officer of the constituency. The candidate will be asked to sign an acknowledgement of receipt of the certificate, which will then be sent by registered post to the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha, as per the Election Commission’s guidelines.
The Form 22 certificate is required by authorities to verify the identity of the elected candidates when they go to the Lok Sabha to take their oath as members. The EC will then hand over a list of the elected MPs to the President, which will set in motion the process for constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha.
In 2019, this complete list of MPs had been handed over to then President Ram Nath Kovind just two days after the results were declared — on May 25. And it was on this day that President Kovind invited the NDA to form the government and the swearing-in ceremony then took place on May 30.
Why the Old Govt Has to Resign
After proving majority in the House, the government will proceed with the oath-taking ceremony with the newly elected MPs.
The BJP has acquired 240 seats, much lower than the 272-majority mark, but the NDA allies, namely the TDP and JD(U), the NDA has attained 292 seats. As leader of the NDA, Narendra Modi will be invited by the President to form the next government.
Narendra Modi is expected to take the oath as PM on June 8. By doing so, he will become the first (and only) three-term leader of the country after Congress’ Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The swearing-in ceremony of the Union Cabinet is also likely to take place the same day.
Before staking claim to form the government, the old one has to resign. Hence, PM Narendra Modi and his ministers have tendered their resignation. The President accepted the resignation and requested the PM and the Union Council of Ministers to continue in office till the new government is formed.
The Cabinet’s recommendation on the dissolution of the current Lok Sabha paves way for the 18th Lok Sabha. The term of the current 17th Lok Sabha ends on June 16.