NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the BJP to a stunning victory in the Lok Sabha elections, with the saffron party itself winning 303 seats, improving its 2014 showing and leaving opposition parties dazed and demoralized. The BJP-led NDA ended up with a tally of 352 seats.


After Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, Narendra Modi is the third prime minister of the country who has been able to retain power for a second term with full majority in Lok Sabha.

Modi's proclamation of "Ab ki baar 300 paar" just a few days ago has come true as Rahul Gandhi's campaign slogan of "chowkidar chor hai" and promises of annual income guarantee were soundly rejected by voters.

"From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Kutch to Kamrup, the whole nation is saying- Ab ki baar, 300 paar, phir ek baar Modi sarkar," Modi had said while addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone on May 17.

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As the BJP crossed the 300 seat mark in the Lok Sabha elections, it was the ninth time that any single party has achieved such a feat.

In 1952, when the first Lok Sabha election was conducted, the Congress had won 398 of 543 seats under the then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, as per the data available on the official Lok Sabha website.

Nehru repeated the feat in 1957, by winning 395 of 537 seats and in 1962, by bagging 394 of 540 seats.

In 1967, under Indira Gandhi's leadership, the Congress won 303 seats out of 553.

In 1971, the party represented by Indira Gandhi got a clear two-thirds majority by winning 372 of 553 seats.

In 1977, when the sixth Lok Sabha election was held after the Emergency, the Janata Party, formed through the merger of four anti-Congress parties, won 302 seats out of 557.

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This government, however, was unstable and fresh elections were held in 1980, in which the Congress stormed to power yet again with 377 seats of 566.

In 1984, after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the sympathy wave helped the Congress led by her son Rajiv Gandhi win 426 of 567 seats.

Between 1989 and 2014, no single party emerged as a winner and all the governments formed were coalitions.

(With inputs from agencies)