Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, Ratan Tata’s legacy, Nadal’s retirement and more: The week in 5 charts

Here are five charts that will help you understand some of the key stories from last week

Published - October 14, 2024 02:11 pm IST

(1) NC-Congress alliance set to form govt in J&K

The National Conference (NC) emerged as the single largest party in Jammu and Kashmir on October 8, 2024 and won 42 seats in the 90-member Assembly of the union territory, while the Bharatiya Janata Party retained its stronghold Jammu by winning 29 seats.

However, the NC ally Congress’ performance was dismal and it only won six seats, five from the Kashmir valley and only one from the Jammu province. It had fielded candidates from 32 seats as part of a seat-sharing arrangement with the NC. 

Also Read |PDP faces a rout in J&K, retains only three seats

The map below showcases the winning party in each constituency, by margin of victory (%). Following the pattern in 2014, BJP continued to win several seats in Jammu with a margin of victory exceeding 10% of the vote share. Out of the 42 seats JKNC won, 16 were with a margin of victory exceeding 20% of the vote share of that particular constituency.

The stage is now set for Omar Abdullah, the 54-year-old scion of the Abdullah clan, to take over the reins of J&K as the NC’s legislators have unanimously approved for him to become the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

(2) BJP to form a majority for the third time in Haryana Assembly

With its third consecutive win in the Haryana Assembly Elections, this year’s seat tally for BJP increased from 40 in 2019 to 48. The Congress, too, increased its seat-share, edging out other players like the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP). The INLD went from winning 19 seats in 2014 to just two this year. Similarly, the JJP’s tally went from 10 seats in 2019 to none this year.

​Against the odds: The Hindu’s Editorial on the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections

BJP’s vote share reached the highest-ever figure in Assembly elections since 2000 at around 40%. The vote shares of parties other than BJP, INLD and Congress plummeted from around 32% in 2019 to around 16% this year. 

The key winning candidates of the Congress include — former Chief Minister Mr. Bhupinder Hooda (Garhi Sampla-Kiloi), Vinesh Phogat (Julana), Aditya Surjewala (Kaithal), Geeta Bhukkal (Jhajjar). The prominent BJP candidates who won include — Anil Vij (Ambala Cantt), Shruti Choudhry (Tosham) and Arti Singh Rao (Ateli). 

BJP’s success can be attributed to the party’s attempts to fight anti-incumbency by introducing new candidates, consolidating political outreach to Other Backward Classes and Dalits, and effective countering of Opposition narratives.

(3) Ratan Tata passes away at 86

Ratan Tata, one of India’s iconic business leaders and former chairman of the Tata Group, passed away on October 9, 2024 at the age of 86.

Under Ratan Tata’s visionary leadership, the Tata Group grew into a global powerhouse. His contributions span various sectors, from engineering to technology. The group’s significant global expansion under his leadership stands as a testament to his transformative impact on the Indian industry.

Apart from being an astute industrialist and visionary business leader, he was a philanthropist who has given away most of his money for the wellbeing of the society.

Senior politicians, industrialists, and celebrities joined thousands of mourners, including Tata employees and regular Mumbaikars, in bidding farewell to Ratan Tata, one of India’s corporate giants, as his mortal remains were cremated with full State honours in India’s financial capital.

(4) Rafael Nadal to retire

Rafael Nadal announced on October 10, 2024 that he will retire from tennis at age 38 following next month’s Davis Cup final.

Nadal won 22 Grand Slam singles titles during an unprecedented era he shared with his rivals in the so-called Big Three, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

The Davis Cup knockout phase will be played from Nov. 19-24.

He won his last Roland Garros title in 2022 and left the Paris clay on a jaw-dropping 112-4 win-loss record.

(5) GDP growth rate pegged at 7.2% for FY25

The RBI projected FY25 (2024-25) GDP growth rate at 7.2%, along with a CPI inflation of 4.5%. For 2025-26, the RBI projected a growth rate of 7.1%. 

The GDP growth for the first quarter of this year was led by “a revival in private consumption and improvement in investment” according to RBI governor Shaktikanta Das.

For CPI inflation, the figure for FY25 was projected at 4.5%. This follows last year’s rate at 5.36%, below the 6% upper threshold set by the government.

The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy projected the same figure for 2024-25 in an analysis on October 1, 2024. It said that a base effect would be present in the first half of the year, with a high base value softening this year’s inflation rate. However, it said that the rate would remain below the threshold in the second half even after the base effect disappears. This was attributed to good harvest and a fall in food prices and food inflation.

On the other hand, RBI cautioned that the agricultural output remains susceptible to weather-related shocks, which could influence inflationary trends.

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