The 2024 general elections in India have left pollsters and political parties stunned with their unexpected outcomes. The BJP-led NDA coalition secured 293 seats, with the BJP itself winning 240, falling short of the majority mark by 33 seats. The INDIA bloc posed a significant challenge, capturing 234 seats and intensifying the battle to form the next government. This election saw an unprecedented number of bureaucrats transitioning into politics, adding to the dynamic and unpredictable nature of the electoral outcomes.
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APARAJITA SARANGI’S TRIUMPH
Known for her significant contributions as the Municipal Commissioner of Bhubaneswar and her tenure as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Rural Development, Sarangi joined the BJP in 2018. In the 2019 elections, she won against BJD’s Arup Patnaik by over 23,000 votes. In 2024, she secured a comfortable win with a 47.4% vote share and a margin of over 35,000 votes against BJD’s Manmath Kumar Routray.
SASIKANTH SENTHIL’S VICTORY
Sasikanth Senthil, a 2009-batch IAS officer, contested from Tiruvallur in Tamil Nadu as a Congress candidate in coalition with DMK. In 2024, Senthil won with a reassuring 56.2% vote share, defeating BJP’s Balaganapathy by over five-and-a-half lakh votes.
CHALLENGES AND DEFEATS
Despite their administrative prowess, some bureaucrats faced challenges in the political arena. RS Praveen Kumar of BSP contested from Nagarkurnool in Telangana but lost by a margin of over 1,40,000 votes.
“Clearing the UPSC exam took me three attempts. Similarly, in politics, you cannot become a politician overnight. Some might achieve that, but for many, it requires sheer hard work. Preparing for an exam and answering questions is relatively easy compared to facing people, convincing them of your dreams and ideologies, and understanding their problems,” RS Praveen Kumar told Indian Masterminds.
Anand Mishra, running as an independent from Buxar in Bihar, secured only 47,000 votes, losing to RJD’s Sudhakar Singh by about 3,90,000 votes. K Annamalai, a former IPS, lost in Coimbatore against DMK’s Ganapathy Rajkumar P, despite being a projected winner in exit polls.
“Despite these obstacles, I garnered around 50,000 votes, which is significant given the short campaign period. Moving forward, although I have taken voluntary retirement from service, my commitment to politics and serving the people of Bihar remains steadfast. Even without a political platform, I will continue working on the issues I promised to address, such as improving law and order, healthcare, education, farming, and employment,” Anand Mishra told Indian Masterminds.
HIGH-PROFILE BATTLES IN ODISHA AND PUNJAB
In Odisha, ex-IPS Arup Patnaik of BJD lost to BJP’s Sambit Patra in Puri by about 1 lakh votes. In Bathinda, Punjab, former IAS Parampal Kaur of BJP faced a tough four-way battle and lost to SAD’s Harsimrat Kaur Badal by 49,000 votes.
The 2024 general elections highlighted the unpredictable nature of Indian politics, showcasing the mixed success of bureaucrats turned politicians.
