NDA to be largest alliance, but short of majority

A latest opinion poll on Saturday projected that the NDA will emerge as the largest alliance pocketing 233 seats, with lead partner BJP alone getting a record 209, but it will be still short of the magic figure of 272 to form the government at the Centre.

As per the ABP News-Nielsen opinion poll, BJP leader Narendra Modi’s popularity has declined a bit but he remains the clear choice of people for the position of prime minister.
He got 54 per cent in the fresh survey conducted this month, which is three per cent less he had netted in February this year, said a release issued by ABP news channel.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s popularity among people remains constant for he has been voted as the second choice for prime minister with 18 per cent while AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal bagged only three per cent.

The ABP News-Nielsen survey predicts that the UPA will get 119 seats as compared to 92 seats in opinion poll conducted in February 2014. Out of this, the Congress was likely to get 91 seats and  AAP is expected to get around four seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha.

The BJP is expected to do well in North, East and western part of the country except for the South where the Congress will have an upper edge. The poll findings suggest that the BJP may get 81 seats in the North while the Congress’ share will shrink to 21. The BSP would get 17 and Samajwadi Party around 12 seats.

Similarly in the East, the BJP was likely to get around 36 seats, West Bengal ruling party Trinamool Congress would bag around 28 seats while Odisha ruling party BJD was likely to get 17 seats with the Congress expected to get around 19 seats.

The Congress is to lead with 31 seats with AIADMK likely to get 21 seats in South India.