Lok Sabha Elections 2024: TDP dismisses rumours of switching allegiance to INDIA, says will support NDA

Dismissing rumours of switching allegiance to the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) said that it will continue to support the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The speculations surfaced as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) witnessed unexpected Lok Sabha election results on Tuesday (Jun 4) where the saffron party did not receive a full majority.

"Our pre-poll pact with BJP and Janasena in Andhra Pradesh isn't just political arithmetic; it's a matter of credibility," TDP's senior leader Kanakamedala Ravindrakumar told news agency PTI.

"We will remain part of the NDA. There is absolutely no question of supporting the India Bloc," he said.

This comes after the TDP registered a landslide victory in both Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

BJP-led NDA poised to win 291 seats, while INDIA bloc gets 234

The BJP-led NDA is slated to win 291 seats and the INDIA opposition bloc is poised to grab 234. Other political parties are poised to win 18 seats.

With what the ECI data has shown, NDA will approximately have 17 more seats than the majority mark of 272 in the Lok Sabha.

After the results came out, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people of the country for their unwavering faith in India's Constitution stating that the BJP-led NDA will form its third successive government.

"The people of the country have expressed their trust in the NDA for the third consecutive time. This is an unprecedented moment in the history of India. I thank my family for their love and blessings. I assure the countrymen that to fulfil their aspirations, we will move forward with new energy, new enthusiasm, and new resolves," PM Modi earlier said on X.

"I express my heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to all the workers for the dedication and tireless hard work they have done," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)