- Friday, September 13, 2024
Shashi Tharoor targeted the Hindu nationalist party which had claimed its alliance would win more than 400 seats in the Indian general election but fell short by far.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN opposition parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor on Friday (5) took a dig at the Narendra Modi government in connection to the results of the recently held general election in the UK saying a party succeeded in getting more than 400 seats, but in another country!
The four-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram in the southern state of Kerala, who represents the country’s main opposition Congress party, tweeted, “Finally “ab ki baar 400 paar” (finally someone crossed 400) happened — but in another country!” He was referring to the UK’s Labour Party that won 412 seats in the country’s election held on Thursday (4).
The London-born politician’s target was the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Modi which claimed ahead of this year’s general election in India that its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would go past 400 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha or the Lower House of the parliament. The Hindu nationalist party expected at least 370 of those seats coming to itself, forecasting Modi’s third successive term in power with an even brute majority.
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But in reality, the claims were unfulfilled with the BJP getting only 240 seats and the NDA finishing with 293 seats. Modi’s party failed to reach the majority mark of 272 and had to depend on NDA allies such as Telugu Desam Party and Janata Dal – United to form the government, unlike in 2014 and 2019 when it had the majority number by itself. The results of the seven-phase election in India were announced on June 4, exactly a month before the UK went to polls.
Finally “ab ki baar 400 paar” happened — but in another country! pic.twitter.com/17CpIp9QRl
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 5, 2024
The opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, including the Congress, saw a boost on the other hand and ended on 232 seats. The Congress saw a big revival and won 99 seats, much better than its tallies in 2014 (44) and 2019 (52).
Read: UK’s first PM of colour may have left but its new parliament sees record diversity
Tharoor, who beat former minister of state for information technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar in his constituency this year, mocked the BJP by citing the feat of the Labour Party which swept the elections to return to power after 14 years, ending the rule of the Conservatives who won only 121 seats.
Starmer became the new prime minister of the UK, succeeding Rishi Sunak, Britain’s first prime minister of colour.
