How did India react to the outcome of an intensely fought poll battle?

Delhi: Whither opposition?

Late afternoon in the national capital, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) looked set to win all seven Lok Sabha seats for the third time in a row, the traders said the city-state needed an opposition. The current scenario, they added, offered no such option.

Gathered in small groups outside their shops, the traders of wholesale markets such as Chandni Chowk and Sadar Bazaar in Old Delhi were glued to their mobile screens. “We are tracking the results. Even if not in Delhi, there is still a fight,” said Manoj Kumar, a cart-puller from Sadar Bazaar.

Sudhir Arora, owner of a nearby stationery shop, said no political party works if there’s no competition. “We like the BJP for its strong stance on various issues, but such an ego boost from the national capital can lead to overconfidence,” he added.

The traders said they had big expectations from Praveen Khandelwal, the candidate from Chandni Chowk, who is the founder and general secretary of the Confederation of All India Traders. His constituency covers major commercial hubs such as Sadar Bazaar, Kamla Nagar, and Chandni Chowk.

“Somebody from our community is coming to power,” said Ram Babu Jain of Nitin Fabrics, a textile wholesaler. “Till yesterday, he was a business leader. Now, he is a political leader. Things might change, but we are hopeful that we’ll have a representative in him,” said Rajesh Malhotra, president, Textile Market Association, Chandni Chowk. With policies and incentives focused on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the traders said wholesale markets such as theirs had lost their dominance and needed attention. 

Sanjay Bhargava, president of trader association Sarv Vyapar Mandal, and Khandelwal’s long-time associate, said the BJP candidate had promised better infrastructure and representation. Taking a jibe at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), he quipped, “BJP winning all seven seats is AAP's failure.”

Lucknow: The surprise show

While BJP leaders went into a huddle at the state headquarters near the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha precincts, the victory celebrations shifted to the opposition camps of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress.

As news of the close contest between BJP and INDIA bloc candidates emerged in the politically significant state, SP and Congress cadres began rejoicing and distributing sweets at their respective party offices. 

The state BJP unit, which had prepared for celebrations with a makeshift stage at the party office, kept the paraphernalia loaded in a truck until late afternoon. 

Lucknow, a traditionally BJP-voting urban constituency, lacked the usual saffron hue on the big day, even as local candidate and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh extended his lead.

“The results are really unexpected, to say the least, but I think it would serve as an important check and balance for the party in power,” noted Ashish Tripathi, a lawyer.

Some BJP-supporting local traders, who had planned to celebrate in the evening, scaled down their plans following the lukewarm results. Meanwhile, traders’ leader Sanjay Gupta remarked that the Lok Sabha results were beneficial for a vibrant democracy like India, as this would encourage a strong opposition, while expressing confidence that Narendra Modi would form the next government.

Mumbai: Local vs global

The six Lok Sabha seats that went to polls in India’s financial capital saw dramatic political shifts. 

On the ground, people seemed divided in their opinion on who they wish to see at the Centre. Many voters expressed a desire to give Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a chance. 

Several pointed out that they wanted someone who would look into local issues. Udhay, a young Swiggy delivery executive who gave only his first name, said, “The Modi government did a lot of work for India internationally, but we want someone in power who works locally for us.”

There seemed to be a prevalent sense of dissatisfaction among Mumbai's common people, who felt their condition had not improved in the last decade. Several voters supported Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray for his focus on Maharashtrians. “We have limited income, and paying our bills is difficult. We have voted for Uddhavji since we want mahangai (inflation) to be under check,” said Sunita Gudekar, a 62-year-old vendor at Dadar flower market.

On Dalal Street, the mood was gloomy with the markets recording the sharpest fall since March 23, 2020, wiping out Rs 31 trillion of investors’ wealth. Prince Todi, a corporate lawyer and trader, commented, “Yesterday, we were all happy and everyone’s portfolio was at an all-time high. Markets reacted very badly, and the so-called Modi stocks, or the PSU stocks marketed as those, which would give multibagger returns, are down 15-20 per cent.”

In contrast, Dharavi, one of the world’s largest slums, opposed the BJP due to the government’s proposed rehabilitation project. “No BJP is good for Dharavi,” said a recycler from the area.

However, several in the city still rooted for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to return to power. Prem Kasri, a waiter in a Dadar restaurant, said BJP was the “best party,” and credited it for making India safer for women, providing health coverage to the poor with Ayushman Bharat, and building infrastructure.

Kolkata: Play of ambitions

In Pageya Patty, Burrabazar, Rohit Gupta of Novelty Traders sat smugly, confident in the expected poll results in West Bengal. “We knew the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was ahead here. In the next few days, we expect sales of big banners and flags to pick up,” he said. 

Nearby, Mangal Shree, who sells similar items, also hoped the celebrations would boost business, which has been muted this election season.

Burrabazar, divided into sub-markets, is one of India’s largest wholesale markets and primarily consists of non-Bengali traders. It is part of the Kolkata Uttar constituency, which has an urban and diverse electorate. Here, Sudip Bandyopadhyay is set for a fourth term, having faced Tapas Roy, who defected to the BJP from TMC earlier this year. Locals believe the BJP should not have fielded a defector in this seat.

At Posta Bazar, a sub-market dealing in perishable goods, trader Gopal Agarwal sat despondent. “Since yesterday, my notional loss in the stock market is Rs 20-25 lakh. But I am not upset about that. I feel bad for Modiji; he is the best for India. In West Bengal, Didi is okay.”

A few kilometres away, at New Market (formerly Sir Stuart Hogg Market), some retailers said the BJP's jingle of “400 paar” was overambitious by 100 seats.

Celebrations were more visible in Kolkata Dakshin, with the Trinamool theme song blaring in neighbourhoods, and party workers riding by on bikes, trucks, and cars. Near Kalighat, where PMC leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee resides, it was a riot of green. The music was louder, and the faces smeared with green abir. A supporter danced on the road, holding a framed sketch of Banerjee above his head. 

As the day progressed, more supporters thronged the by-lane near Banerjee’s residence.

Chennai: Dash of red & black

At around 9.30 am, Vel Murugan sat glued to a Tamil news channel. The early leads were beginning to trickle in, and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) looked set for a second straight sweep in Tamil Nadu. A small smile cut through Murugan’s anxious expression. 

A merchant at Chennai’s famed Koyambedu Flower Market, he knew his red flowers would be in big demand today. Red and black are, after all, the colours of the DMK flag. Taking a deep breath of the market where fragrances of jasmine, marigold, roses and many others, make for a heady concoction, Murugan said, “It is expected to be a good day.”

The city was soon awash in red and black. "Red signifies the rising sun, which does away with darkness," said 34-year-old Shantha Kumar from Royapuram, northern Chennai, standing outside Queen Mary’s College, a key counting centre. The area was under tight security. Across the state’s 43 counting centres, 100,000 police personnel and 15 companies of paramilitary forces had been deployed. “DMK’s people-friendly policies worked in its favour,” said Kumar.

Six kilometres away, at DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam, the celebrations had already started with firecrackers and sweets. It was barely 11 am. Standing in the shade of a tree, Udaya Kumar, a 60-year-old resident of Chennai’s Ambattur area, said, "The fight is closer than what exit polls predicted. I believe the INDIA alliance will get more seats by the end of the day."

It’s the women voters who won the election for the DMK, he said. “The free bus rides, Rs 1,000 a month for women, free breakfast at schools, and the Pudhumai Penn Scheme (to provide monthly aid of Rs 1,000 to girl students), all helped the alliance," Kumar added.

At the BJP headquarters, Kamalalayam, barely 1.3 km from the DMK office, the faces were tense. In a hall packed with party supporters, the mood was sombre. A band with musicians is expected to arrive by 12 pm, a supporter said gloomily. "The NDA will come to power. Signs show that we are going to get around 290 seats. We are hopeful," said Soundara Rajan, a BJP supporter, focusing on the national picture.

In Tamil Nadu, though, the day belonged to DMK. The MK Stalin-led party, which fought as part of the INDIA bloc, dominated.

Bengaluru: Sights on the city

In India’s IT hub, which has faced an unexpected dry spell followed by unexpectedly heavy rains, the election results sparked a range of reactions, with a significant focus on pressing infrastructure issues.

At Koshy’s, one of Bengaluru’s oldest restaurants on St Mark’s Road, a cashier expressed a desire for the NDA to win. “In Bengaluru, the new government should look into improving the conditions of roads and hospitals, along with developing some of them,” he said. “Also, look into the drainage system and drinking water projects.”

Amit Shenoy, a chartered accountant shopping on MG Road, echoed similar concerns. “Bengaluru majorly has drainage issues. Last rainy season, water was almost above 3-4 feet on highways,” he said.

Disha Patel, a software professional shopping on Neeladri Road in Electronic City, stressed the importance of continuing policies that support digitalisation and startups. “But most importantly, we must get access to quality education and healthcare at affordable prices. I want avenues for earning my livelihood in a non-discriminatory manner where everyone has equal rights,” Patel added.

(Anushka Bhardwaj, Virendra Singh Rawat, Shine Jacob, Jaden Mathew Paul, Roshni Shekhar, Anjali Singh, Amritha Pillay, Abhijeet Lele, Sharleen D'Souza, Ishita Ayan Dutt, Ayushman Baruah and Aneeka Chatterjee contributed to this article)