Billed as the super year of elections, 2024 saw 64 nations across the world going to polls. In India, there were the Lok Sabha election, eight assembly elections and several bypolls.
The general elections held in April-May saw Narendra Modi-led BJP segueing into a third consecutive term, albeit with lesser numbers. For the first time, the saffron party, which wielded an undisputed majority in the last two terms, had to onboard two coalition partners — Chandrababu-led TDP and Nitish Kumar-led JD(U). The mandate also proved to be a leveller in the country’s politics, maintaining the BJP’s dominance while giving more teeth to the Opposition. The BJP secured 240 seats and the main Opposition Congress one seat short of 100.
Among the assembly elections, the verdicts cemented the positions of incumbent governments in five states — Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Curiously, the November verdict in Maharashtra saw Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis switch roles, but not without high drama. In Jharkhand, Hemant Soren consolidated his image as the state’s true tribal leader despite the rival camp’s ‘outsider’ taunts during election campaigns.
In October, Nayab Singh Saini too proved his mettle in Haryana. The same month saw Jammu and Kashmir — where all elections were suspended since the scrapping of Article 370 in August 2019 — going to polls once again after the hiatus, catapulting an initially hesitant Omar Abdullah to the chief minister’s chair.
In Odisha, the regional superpower BJD faced a crushing defeat under the BJP juggernaut. The five-time CM Naveen Patnaik was ousted after an uninterrupted 24-year rule.
The Congress camp saw two firsts — Rahul Gandhi, who won the Wayanad and Rae Bareli seats, assumed the role of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha. The ensuing bypoll in Wayanad marked Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s entry in electoral politics.
Uttar Pradesh
Ram temple consecration, mandir-masjid rows
The year opened on a religious note with the consecration of Ram Lalla in the Ayodhya temple in January. Later, an ASI report established the presence of a pre-existing Hindu temple under the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, and the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah dispute cropped up as well. Mid-February saw massive student protests over paper leak during the constable recruitment exam. In March, the death of jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari due to cardiac arrest grabbed the headlines. Two communal flare-ups, one at Bahraich in October and another at Sambhal in November shook the state. In the last leg, a sitting HC judge caused flutter with his political speech.
Maharashtra
A complete political turnaround
The highlight of the year was the MahaYuti alliance’s landslide victory in the assembly elections, just six months after a drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls. The Opposition Maha Vikas Agadi (MVA) had won 30 out of the 48 parliamentary seats during the general elections. But in a complete turnaround during the Assembly polls, the MahaYuti — consisting of the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction — secured 230 out of the 281 seats. In contrast, the MVA comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SP), could garner only 46 seats. Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as CM for a third. time.
Jharkhand
Champai’s fallout, Kalpana’s rise
Jharkhand plunged into a political crisis when CM Hemant Soren was jailed in a graft case. Two results ensued: Champai Soren, who held the fort, was disenchanted when Hemant wrested back power after his release, and joined BJP. Two, the state saw the rise of a new woman tribal leader in Hemant’s wife Kalpana Soren. The year also saw the launch of Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojana, under which all women aged 21-50 years receive an aid of Rs 2,500 a month.
West Bengal
‘Where the mind is without fear…’
At the stroke of the midnight hour on August 15, thousands of people thronged the streets of West Bengal, with songs of resistance and calls for justice for the trainee doctor of RG Kar Hospital, who was raped and murdered while on duty. The brutal murder at a government hospital finally restored the voice of a population that had for long remained complicit to enduring violence. An entire generation of disenfranchised people stormed into the streets yearning for a life without fear. What came about was a watershed, surrounding the question of women and workplace security, exposing the rot proliferating the system. As the year turns to a close, much of that zeal has dissipated into the monotony of injustice. The CBI, the flag-bearers of justice, is yet to chargesheet some of the key accused in the RG Kar rape-murder.
Jammu and kashmir
High poll percentage amid dip in militancy
The first assembly election after the abrogation of Article 370 saw an unprecedented poll percentage of 63.9%, as people overwhelmingly came out to vote without fear. This was also the first election since 1990, that was bereft of boycott calls from militants or separatists. The Valley also saw further decline in militancy compared to the previous years, though two major militant attacks on civilians took place: In June, militants attacked a pilgrim bus in Reasi, killing nine persons. In October, terrorists stormed into a construction site of AFCO Infra in Ganderbal, killing seven people. The security forces killed one militant in an encounter. Stone peltings have dropped significantly. As 2024 draws to a close, the Valley is facing a severe power crisis in the bone-chilling cold of Chilai Kalan, the 40-day harsh winter period.
Punjab
Setbacks mark political landscape, SAD story
Punjab’s political landscape was marked by an upheaval, with the Aam Aadmi Party facing setbacks in Lok Sabha and civic polls despite key bypoll victories. Congress dominated, winning seven of 13 LS seats, while AAP secured three. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) faced internal rebellion, with leader Sukhbir Singh Badal undergoing religious penance mandated by the Akal Takht, and narrowly missing the bullet shot by a former militant. Farmers intensified protests demanding a legal guarantee for the minimum support price on crops, with marches blocked at state borders. Tardy paddy procurement further fuelled discontent among farmers. BJP remained ineffective, with state chief Sunil Jakhar stepping back post-poll losses.
Uttarakhand
Impending UCC, forest fires, drop in tiger deaths
In 2024, Uttarakhand became the first state in India to pass the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, with implementation expected in January 2025. Apart from this major development, the hill state also faced a staggering rise in forest fire incidents, reporting over 21,000 cases across its 13 districts — a 293% increase compared to 2023. However, this surge in forest fires had no noticeable impact on the scenic state’s tourism sector, which attracted 6.5 crore visitors to its hill stations and religious sites. The Himalayan state is also known for its wildlife. Uttarakhand saw a significant decline in tiger mortality in 2024, with only eight deaths reported during the year, marking a remarkable 62% drop from the 21 deaths recorded in 2023.
Northeast
Ganges river dolphin, Bryan Adams concert
The gun did not fall silent in Manipur in 2024, even 18 months after the ethnic violence broke out. In sharp contrast, there was absolute peace elsewhere in the Northeast. The first serious effort to restore peace was initiated in Jiribam on August 1, when Meitei and Hmar leaders met at a CRPF facility, though the agreement was short-lived. What followed was a series of civilian killings and arson attacks, and irate mob attacks on homes of Imphal Valley-based legislators. There are no signs of reconciliation yet and the wounds still remain deep. Other headlines from the Northeast included the first-geotagging of a Ganges river dolphin in Assam, a Bryan Adams concert in Meghalaya, and protests against a proposed hydro-power project in Arunachal Pradesh.
Himachal
Of cross-votes, jungli murga, samosas & toilet tax
The Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government survived a BJP bid to topple it by engineering cross-voting during the February Rajya Sabha polls. This led to the disqualification of six Congress MLAs, who later fought bypolls on BJP ticket. While Congress managed to win six of the nine seats in the bypolls, the simultaneous general elections saw BJP sweeping all four seats, and mark the political entry of Kangana Ranaut from Mandi seat. The state was hit by a financial crisis, delaying payments for 2.15 lakh employees and 90,000 pensioners in September. Some unsavoury controversies cropped up over claims of the CM prompting aides to eat the endangered jungli murga, a CID probe into the missing samosas at an official event and reports of a `25 toilet tax.
Chhattisgarh
A ‘final solution’ to Maoist menace in Bastar
Every now and then, a dozen odd bodies are recovered from the forest, riddled with bullets. The uniforms identify them as left wing extremists, unearthing their weapons, propaganda. “Zero tolerance towards Maoists,” the home minister declares, “The country will be free from the Maoist problem by March 2026.” In the remote tribal belt of Bastar, 219 Maoists were neutralised by security forces in separate encounters this year, a staggering spike from the mere 50 eliminated in 2022 and 2023 combined. Parallelly, the Nagarnar steel plant in Bastar produces over 2 MT of hot metal, in the name of ‘sustainable industrial development’.
Rajasthan
BJP comeback amid Gehlot-Pilot divide
Rajasthan was turbulent with major political shifts. The BJP rode on its December 2023 state polls victory, but the euphoria faded by summer. Despite dominating the state’s 25 LS seats in the past two general elections, BJP lost 11 seats this time. Controversies plagued the government one after another. First, agriculture minister Kirori Lal Meena criticised own government, reportedly after denied a prominent cabinet position. Then, education minister Madan Dilawar drew ire for seeking DNA tests of tribals and demanding curriculum changes. In Congress camp, besides the Gehlot-Pilot divide, new factions sprang up.
Haryana
BJP beats anti-incumbency, creates history
The BJP created history when it aced the Haryana assembly election this year and secured a third consecutive term, defeating the Congress and other regional parties. Months before, the party replaced Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar with Nayab Singh Saini, a move that helped the BJP clinch 48 seats, while Congress won 37. The election was marred by internal strife within Congress, with several senior leaders defecting to the BJP, including Kiran Choudhry and her daughter Shruti. The election also saw the political entry of wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia on Congress tickets.
Bihar
Nitish somersault, emergence of a new party
Bihar witnessed several twists and turns in 2024. It began with Nitish Kumar taking oath as the Chief Minister for a ninth time on January 28. He snapped ties with Lalu Prasad’s RJD, and drifted away from the INDIA bloc, to form the government with new ally BJP. The somersault left the top Opposition leaders flummoxed ahead of Lok Sabha polls. However, NDA’s tally from Bihar reduced from 39 to 30 in the LS. With the ‘double-engine’ government back in power, Bihar’s expectations on development front ran high. The year also saw the formation of a new political entity, Jan Suraaj Party, led by former analyst Prashant Kishor.
Gujarat
Major tragedies, Cong’s Banaskantha moment
Gujarat began 2024 with two tragic incidents. On January 18, a boat tragedy on Vadodara’s Harni Lake claimed 14 lives — including 12 schoolchildren and two teachers — during a picnic. Four months later, a deadly fire at the TRP Game Zone in Rajkot on May 25 killed 28 people, mostly youths. On the political front, the BJP saw its unmistakable dominance in Gujarat’s 26 Lok Sabha seats crumble, with the Congress wresting the Banaskantha seat. This marked the end of its clean sweep streak in the state since 2014. The loss came after a fiercely contested election, marked by internal turbulence and strategic defections.
Madhya Pradesh
Factory fire, jumbo deaths amid BJP comeback
The first half of the year saw the BJP achieving its long-standing goal of winning all the 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh. And understandably, the Congress faced its worst-ever defeat, failing to secure even a single seat. Additionally, a major accident at a firecracker factory in Harda resulted in 11 fatalities and injured 200 others. Other significant events during the course of the year included the deaths of 10 wild elephants in Bandhavgarh national park, possibly due to Kodo millet crop mycotoxin poisoning. The year also saw the dismantling of several major crime rings, an impact likely to be felt in 2025 as well.
Longest Bridge
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, the longest bridge in India that connects Mumbai with Navi Mumbai, on January 12 .
Missile test
The Defence Research and Development Organisation conducted a successful flight-trial of India’s first long-range hypersonic missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha on November 16
Chalo india
Chalo India, a global campaign that seeks to make Indian diaspora members ambassadors of Incredible India, was announced in September. Under this, 1 lakh foreign tourists will be exempted from visa fee in the coming times
World heritage
Moidams — the mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty in Assam — in Charaideo district was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in July
Classical Language
In October, the Union government granted classical language status to five languages — Bengali, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, and Assamese — taking the number of classical languages to 11
River-linking
On December 25, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation for the ambitious Ken-Betwa river linking project, which plans to transfer excess water from the Ken river to the Betwa river to address concerns of irrigation in arid Bundelkhand of Madhya Pradesh
Solar mission
India’s solar mission, Aditya-L1, was inserted into its orbit on January 6. On July 2, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft completed its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 point. It takes 178 days to complete a revolution around the L1 point.
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
The Lok Sabha election was projected as a referendum on Modi’s popularity. And he strode into a third term, becoming the third longest serving Prime Minister.
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition
The yatras paid off. Congress improved its tally substantially in the general election, and Rahul Gandhi assumed the role of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha for the first time.
Priyanka Gandhi, Congress MP
When brother Rahul relinquished his Wayanad seat to retain his mother’s bastion Rae Bareli, it paved the way for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s debut in electoral politics.
Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra CM
Rivals trolled him for his ‘Mee Punha Yein’ refrain in 2019. In 2022 MahaYuti govt, he had to stoop to conquer. But he emerged brighter and stronger in the November polls.
Hemant Soren, Jharkhand CM
Incarcerated in a graft case, fallout with a close aide who had held the fort for him, and storming back to power — the 2024 chapter of his career is straight out of a story book.
Omar Abdullah, J&K CM
After his Lok Sabha poll debacle, when the first election in the UT was held, Omar was quite resigned, until Congress came to prod. A huge victory seated him in the CM’s chair.
Nayab Singh Saini, Haryana CM
Anti-incumbency, farmers’ ire, a resurgent Congress… hurdles were aplenty before the CM. Despite all, he steered the BJP into a third consecutive term, proving himself to be a worthy substitute for the veteran ML Khattar.
Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister
Facing a high-octane BJP campaign in the Lok Sabha elections, the fiesty and formidable Didi proved all pollsters wrong by bettering her party’s performance. She managed to retain TMC’s complete dominance in Bengal polity.
Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party chief
Out of power for two consecutive terms, Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party clinched 37 out of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, proving that it is still a formidable force in the crucial Hindi heartland state.
Eknath shinde, Duputy Chief Minister
As CM, he remained the most accessible leader to public. His Ladki Bahin scheme was widely credited for the MahaYuti’s landslide victory in assembly polls. The win also corroborated him as the true inheritor of Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Health-GettyImages-1498955417-9f25b759ebea42de90770bcbdda53d2f.jpg?w=120&resize=120,86&ssl=1 "4 Things That Could Be Causing Your IBS Symptoms")
