NDA to sweep Bihar in Lok Sabha elections, massive drubbing for opposition's Grand Alliance: Survey

The BJP-led NDA is set for a stunning performance in the coming Lok Sabha elections in the politically-crucial state of Bihar, which sends 40 members to the Lower House of the Parliament, a survey conducted by ABP News-Nielsen has predicted on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: The BJP-led NDA is set for a stunning performance in the coming Lok Sabha elections in the politically-crucial state of Bihar, which sends 40 members to the Lower House of the Parliament, a survey conducted by ABP News-Nielsen has predicted on Tuesday. The ruling coalition which consists of the BJP, the JDU and the LJP is projected to win 34 seats, while the 'Mahagathbandhan', the alliance of opposition parties, may face a massive drubbing and is slated to get only six seats. In terms of vote share, the NDA is likely to get 52 per cent of votes against 35 for the 'Mahagathbandhan'. The other parties are likely to get 13 per cent. The battlefield of Bihar has turned out to be an interesting one with new political equations emerging this time. The opposition, led by the RJD, has formed a 'Mahagathbandhan' with the Congress and other regional parties like the RLSP of former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha and the Hindustani Awam Morch of former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi to take on the NDA that is led by the BJP, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JDU, which fought separately in 2014, and Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP. Among the NDA, the BJP is likely to secure 16 out of the 17 seats it's fighting this time, the JDU may bag 12 and the LJP six. As per the pre-poll agreement, the BJP and the JDU are contesting 17 seats each and the LJP six in the coming general elections. In 2014, the BJP won 22 out of 30 seats it contested while the LJP won six out of the seven seats it was allotted and the RLSP won three out of four seats. The JDU was reduced to winning just two out of 40 seats. In the UPA camp, the RJD, which is witnessing an internal political wrangling within its ruling family, is pegged to win five seats, while the Congress is set to draw a blank. The RLSP may get one seat. The RJD is contesting in 20 seats, the Congress in nine, the RLSP in five, the HAM in three, and Mukesh Sahni-led Vikasheel Insaan party in three seats. In 2014, the Congress won two seats and the RJD four. Among the most talked about seats, the BJP will retain Patna Sahib, from where it fielded Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, dropping actor-turned politician Shatrughan Sinha, who turned rebel and is set to join the Congress on April 6. The saffron party is also likely to win the Begusarai seat, from where Union Minister Giriraj Singh is contesting against his CPIM rival and former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. Seat-wise break-up 1: Aurangabad- NDA 2: Gaya- NDA 3: Nawada- NDA 4: Jamui- NDA 5: Kishanganj- NDA 6: Bhagalpur- UPA 7: Katihar- NDA 8: Purnea- NDA 9: Jhanjharpur- NDA 10: Banka- UPA 11: Supaul- NDA 12: Madhepura- NDA 13: Khagaria- NDA 14:Darbhanga- NDA 15: Sitamarhi- UPA 16: Ujiarpur- NDA 17: Jehanabad- UPA 18: Samastipur- NDA 19: Begusarai- NDA 20: Madhubani- NDA 21: Muzaffarpur- NDA 22: Saran- NDA 23: Hajipur- NDA 24: Karakat- UPA 25: Munger- NDA 26: Valmikinagar- NDA 27: Araria- UPA 28: West Champaran- NDA 29: East Champaran- NDA 30: Sheohar- NDA 31: Vaishali- NDA 32: Gopalganj- NDA 33: Siwan- NDA 34: Maharajganj- NDA 35: Patna Sahib- NDA 36: Nalanda- NDA 37: Patliputra- NDA 38: Ara- NDA 39: Buxar- NDA 40: Sasaram- NDA Bihar to vote in all seven phases in 2019 Lok Sabha elections

Elections for Bihar's 40 Lok Sabha seats will be held during all the seven phases, beginning with the first phase on April 11. As per schedule, the four constituencies which will go to polls on April 11 are Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, Jamui.     Five constituencies - Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnea, Bhagalpur and Banka - will vote on April 18.

While Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Araria, Madhepura and Khagaria will witness polling on April 23, Darbhanga, Ujiarpur, Samastipur, Begusarai and Munger will go to polls on April 29. Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Saran and Hajipur will vote on May 6.

Voting will take place in eight constituencies of Valmikinagar, West Champaran, East Champaran, Sheohar, Vaishali, Gopalganj, Siwan and Maharajganj in the sixth phase on May 12. Patna Saheb, Nalanda, Patliputra, Ara, Buxar, Sasaram, Jehanbad and Karakat will vote in the seventh and final phase on May 19.

A total of 7.06 crore voters will exercise their franchise on 72,723 polling stations.