| Party | 2008 | 2003 |
| BJP | 139 | 173 |
| INC | 69 | 38 |
| BSP | 7 | 2 |
| Others | 8 | 17 |
| Total | 223* | 230 |
| * Results not declared for 7 seats | ||
***
Why BJP Won:
Why Congress Lost: Too many cooks spoilt the party. Suresh Pachauri, Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Arjun Singh, Digvijay Singh, Ajay Singh...all heavyweights pulling in different directions. Their constant bids to undermine each other ensured that the party floundered in regions dominated by rivals.
Spoiler's Tale: Uma Bharati's BJS won just four seats. She lost. Even the BSP fared slightly better, with seven seats.
Victor-Speak: "Anti-incumbency is out. Pro-incumbency, in which political performance will be judged on good governance, is in."—Shivraj Singh Chauhan
