With India’s Lok Sabha polls kickstarted on April 19, a top economist has predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Mod-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may win 350 seats this time.
Economist Surjit Bhalla, in an interview with NDTV, said the BJP is likely to perform better this time than what it achieved in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
He said the saffron party would witness a 5 to 7% rise in seats won compared to the 2019 results.
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“Based on statistical possibility, they should get 330 to 350 seats on their own. This is just the BJP, not including its alliance partners,” Bhalla told NDTV news channel.
For the Congress party, the economist said that the party may get 44 seats- 2% less than what it won in the 2014 election.
Pointing out the “leadership” problem in the opposition parties, Bhalla said, “The economy matters the most, the leadership matters second. And both of them are in favour of the BJP. If the Opposition had selected a leader who could have a mass appeal or approximating half the appeal that Prime Minister Modi has, then I think it could be a contest”.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking his third consecutive term, while the opposition bloc-INDIA- a coalition of opposing parties formed to take on the BJP in the general elections, is eyeing ousting him from power.
The 2024 elections are taking place at a time when opposition leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, have been arrested on charges of corruption in the liquor policy case.
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Bhalla said the reason behind BJP’s victory would be the “improvement in people’s lives”.
“Per capita consumption has improved, lives have improved…Poverty is relative now, no longer absolute,” the economist said.
The second phase of the Lok Sabha elections will be held on April 26. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.
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Published: 21 Apr 2024, 07:35 AM IST