Question

Which of the following parties had contested the maximum number of seats in the 2014 Indian General Election?

• A. Aam Aadmi Party
• B. All India Trinamool Congress
• C. Bahujan Samaj Party
• D. Bharatiya Janata Party
• E. Indian National Congress

Hint:

Always distinguish between \textbf{seats contested} and \textbf{seats won}. BSP contested the maximum seats in 2014, but BJP won the majority.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the 2014 Indian General Election.
The 2014 Lok Sabha elections were one of the largest democratic exercises in the world, with several national and regional parties contesting across India. While BJP and Congress were the main national players, some regional parties like BSP, AAP, and Trinamool Congress also fielded candidates in many states.
Step 2: Number of seats contested.
- Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP): Contested in almost every state across India, fielding candidates in more than 500 constituencies, making it the party with the maximum number of contested seats.
- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): Contested around 428 seats.
- Indian National Congress (INC): Contested about 464 seats.
- Aam Aadmi Party (AAP): Being a new party at that time, contested only about 432 seats.
- All India Trinamool Congress (TMC): Largely limited to West Bengal and a few other states, so contested far fewer seats.
Step 3: Comparing numbers.
Since BSP contested in the highest number of constituencies (over 500), it ranks at the top in terms of seats contested, even though its actual electoral performance (winning seats) was poor.
\[ \boxed{\text{Bahujan Samaj Party contested the maximum number of seats in 2014.}} \]