NDA may win 300 seats in snap LS polls, say surveys

The BJP-led ruling NDA will bounce back to power with 293-309 seats with 34% vote share if a snap Lok Sabha election is held, ABP News-Lokniti-CSDS survey predicted on Thursday.

The Congress-led UPA is projected to double its tally compared to 2014 elections and may bag 127 seats but will remain way behind the magic figure of 272, thanks   to  Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity.

According to the survey, the NDA's projected winning tally of 293-309 seats is about 30 seats down when compared to what it   won in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.  In 2014, BJP alone won 282 seats, leading the NDA which in total captured 336 seats.

Another poll, the annual India Today Mood of the Nation (MOTN) poll, said imminent Lok Sabha elections will fetch the BJP 258 out of 543 seats, down from 282 it won in 2014. In terms of vote share,  it is 40% of India's electorate.

On the other hand, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance will win 202 seats with a vote share of 38% - just two points behind the NDA. Other parties may command a vote share of 22%, translating into 83 seats.

If NDA loses 30 seats out of 336 it won in 2014 elections, it means BJP may fall short of majority mark of 272, the survey found, according to ABP News-Lokniti-CSDS.

BJP dip

It said the slight dip in the BJP's popularity seems to be benefitting the Congress party the most, for now. The UPA is expected to bag 122-132 seats if polls were  held today. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, UPA could only reach a figure of 59 with Congress winning 44 seats out of it. What is clear, the survey pointed out, was the UPA  may  double its seat share in Lok Sabha if polls were held today.

According to the survey, the NDA's performance is strongest in North India followed by western India. The UPA is far behind the NDA except in south India where it is getting almost double the seats of NDA. The NDA seems to be faring well in the Eastern states of India.

Priyanka as PM

The India Today poll found that, among the others India would like to see as the next Prime Minister, Priyanka Gandhi makes a surprise appearance at the third position (4%), followed by another woman leader - West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, at 3%.

At least 2% each of those polled preferred Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, his predecessor P Chidambaram, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, BJP chief Amit Shah, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. BSP chief Mayawati is the preferred PM for 1% of those polled.