Uttar Pradesh isn’t the only state that is giving Prime Minister Narendra Modi a reason to worry ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Maharashtra is another state where the National Democratic Alliance is predicted to incur major losses.
According to the latest election tracker by ABP News and C-Voter, the NDA’s tally could come down from 41 in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections to just 16, a fall of 25 seats, if a pre-poll alliance with the Shiv Sena does not materialise. The tally of 16 seats is for the BJP and its pre-poll ally Republican Party of India (Athawale). According to the survey, the Shiv Sena is estimated to win four seats with a vote share of 11.4 percent.
The UPA have 42.4 percent and the NDA without the Shiv Sena is at 38.4 percent according to the survey. The survey considers BJP and Shiv Sena as post-poll allies and adds it to the NDA’s tally.
As of now, the Shiv Sena is yet to announce whether it would contest in alliance with the BJP or if it would go it alone. According to reports, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut has recently said that the Shiv Sena will have an alliance with the BJP only if someone like Nitin Gadkari is the prime ministerial candidate. Needless to say, this would be unacceptable to the BJP.
On the other hand, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party are all set to finalise their tie-up in the state. NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s presence at the recent Opposition rally in Kolkata was a clear message that he has thrown his lot with the anti-BJP forces. It ended all speculation that he could possibly stay neutral or have a tacit deal with the NDA.
The effect of the Congress-NCP bonhomie can also be seen in Goa, where the alliance is predicted to win one out of the two seats. This is the first major survey that has predicted an even split between the NDA and the UPA in the coastal state.
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