BJP’s alliance with Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP in Andhra Pradesh and Jayant Chaudhary’s Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader in Uttar Pradesh has achieved good results if the exit polls of the Lok Sabha elections are to be believed.
However, the exit poll predictions, which were released on Saturday evening after the conclusion of the seventh and final phase of voting, could spell trouble for the BJP-Eknath Shinde-Ajit Pawar alliance in Maharashtra. The results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on June 4 could have a significant impact on alliances and seat sharing for the Maharashtra Assembly elections later this year.
According to the News18 Mega Exit Poll, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to win 19-22 of the 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh. This year, the BJP, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena are contesting the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls together in the southern state.
According to the seat-sharing formula for 2024, the BJP is contesting six Lok Sabha and 10 Assembly seats, while the TDP is contesting 17 parliamentary seats and 144 state seats. Under the agreement, Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena is contesting two Lok Sabha and 21 Assembly seats. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) could win five of the eight seats, according to opinion polls.
In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP is likely to continue its electoral dominance, with the News18 Mega Exit Poll predicting the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance to win 68-71 seats in the state. Out of these, BJP could win 64-67 seats, according to the poll survey. The induction of Jayant Chaudhary’s RLD and Om Prakash Rajbhar’s Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party has strengthened the NDA alliance in the state.
Maharashtra is where the electoral fortunes of the BJP and its allies will be closely watched as the results could shape the course of the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The BJP-Eknath Shinde-Ajit Pawar alliance was tested to its limits during the seat-sharing talks and a poor result could strain the tripartite relationship.
According to the News18 Mega Exit Poll, the NDA is likely to win 32-35 seats in the state, with 20-23 for the BJP. With 48 seats, Maharashtra ranks second behind Uttar Pradesh in sending MPs to the Lok Sabha. In Mahayuti, BJP won 28 seats, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena 14 and Ajit Pawar’s NCP won five seats.
On May 27, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said that all three parties in the Mahayuti alliance will jointly decide on the seats to be contested in the Assembly elections, but added that the BJP will surely get the maximum share due to merit. to be the largest party.
“The leaders of the three Mahayuti parties will sit together to decide the appropriate seat sharing formula for the assembly polls and the seats will be allotted. Obviously, the BJP will get maximum seats as it is the largest party. However, our allies will be respected in the seat allocation,” he said. Fadnavis told reporters.
He was replying to a question regarding the comments made by NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal where he said that the Ajit Pawar-led party would be able to contest at least 80 to 90 of the total 288 seats.
In the 2019 Assembly polls, the BJP contested 122 seats and won 105, while its ally Shiv Sena (undivided) fought in 63 seats and won 56. The Nationalist Congress Party (undivided), which is part of the opposition UPA, has won 41 seats.
Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and NCP led by Sharad Pawar are divided in 2022 and 2023.
Most opinion polls have predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain power for a third consecutive term, with the BJP-led NDA expected to win a majority. If the exit polls are correct, Modi will equal the record of the country’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, when he led his party to victory in the polls for the third consecutive term.
BJP gave ‘400 paar’ slogan for alliance in Lok Sabha polls. Many polls say that NDA can surpass 2019 with 353 seats. BJP won 303 seats in the elections. Congress has won 53 seats and allies 38.
The NDA in all likelihood will open its account in Tamil Nadu and Kerala and sweep Karnataka but may fall short in the tally in states like Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Haryana, while Uttar Pradesh is expected to remain a BJP stronghold, according to most polls.
Read Latest Updates on Lok Sabha Elections 2024 here.
