The Modi-led BJP and NDA wave may have swept large parts of the country, but there were some geographical barriers that the wave could not break.
They include Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Odisha and Kerala, where the regional parties further strengthened their positions
In Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha-led AIADMK was leading in 37 of 39 seats, while BJP was leading in one. The State, where the BJP had cobbled up a rainbow alliance with several small parties, stood with the Chief Minister. The BJP had claimed that the alliance was working well and it will give considerable fight at least in a dozen seats. However, the main fight in the seat was between the AIADMK and the DMK.
In West Bengal, Trinamool Congress’ Mamata Banerjee was leading in 34 of 42 parliamentary seats, while the Congress appeared set to win 4, and the BJP was leading two seats. She had taken on Modi and even termed him rioter. She had said she will work for a federal front at the Centre with the AIADMK and other regional parties.
In Seemandhra and Telangana, erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam was leading in 16 of 42 seats, while K Chandrashekara Rao-led TRS was leading in 11 seats. The TRS had distanced from the Congress ahead of the election, but did not join the NDA camp.
In Odisha, Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal was leading in 19 seats out of 21, with BJP leading in two. In 2009, BJP could not open its account. Since 2009, Patnaik is taking equi-distant policy against the Congress and the BJP.
In Kerala, the BJP’s hopes to send a person to the Lok Sabha did not fulfil. Though its senior leader O Rajagopal came second in Thiruvananthapuram and a couple of its candidates scored more than one lakh votes, in the last rounds of counting victory went with the UDF and the LDF.
Some States from which no BJP Parliamentarian were expected include Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura. These States have also resisted the Modi wave.