Arithmetic permutations and combinations are being calculated as India inches closer to the Lok Sabha elections. The country will head for polls in seven phases from April 11 to May 19. The counting of votes will happen on May 23.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is hoping to retain power along with its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners. They are being challenged by the Indian National Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and other Opposition parties.
Multiple opinion surveys have predicted the possibility of a hung Parliament. They also predict that the BJP, which nearly swept northern India in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls will face heavy losses there. Therefore, to offset those losses, the saffron party is trying to make inroads into eastern, north-eastern and southern India.
Here’s a look at how the central states voted in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls:
Chhattisgarh
Politics in this state, since its formation in the year 200, has been largely dominated by the BJP. In 2014, BJP won 10 out of the 11 seats in the state — a repeat of their 2009 performance. Congress won one seat.
The saffron party secured a vote share of just under 50 percent, more than 10 percent higher than Congress.
Bihar
BJP had won 22 seats in the state in 2014, up from 12 in 2009. This was followed by Lok Janshakti Party (LJP)’s six. Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), which had then fought the polls separately, managed to win just two seats. JD(U)’s tally fell from what was 20 in 2009.
Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won four seats, followed by Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) and Congress’ three and two seats, respectively. RLSP had fought as part of the NDA. Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had won one seat.
BJP secured 29.9 percent of the votes while its allies LJP and RLSP secured 6.5 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively. JD(U) and the RJD bagged 16 percent and 20.5 percent of the votes, respectively. Congress and the NCP had a vote share of 8.6 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively.
Jharkhand
Despite contesting on nine out of the 14 seats there, Congress failed to win any. Its alliance partner Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) managed to win two seats. The remaining 12 seats were won by the BJP.
This result came in just a few months ahead of the Assembly election in the state there. BJP improved its performance, winning four seats more than 2009.
BJP secured 40.7 percent of the votes in the state. Congress and the JMM secured 13.5 percent and 9.4 percent of the votes.
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