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CoverStory
One of Indian democracy’s big
successes has been the high
number of registered voters
who exercise their franchise
started in the ruling establishment as well. Though to break the SP-BSP unity, sources said the BSP could
PM Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah have been claiming switch sides post poll as she had the experience of
this time the party would improve upon its score of working with the BJP earlier in UP.
282 seats that it got in 2014, the second scenario is also While the BJP is going bullish on UP, which sends
being talked about. the largest 80 members to the Lok Sabha and plays
If the BJP emerges as the single largest party but a crucial role in deciding who gets to rule Delhi, the
with less than 272 seats, it may get the support of party had a pact with the Apna Dal and the Suheldev
parties like the JD-U, Shiv Sena, Akali Dal, AIADMK Bharatiya Samaj Party. In the opposition space, UP
and even that of BJD, TRS and YSR Congress. giants SP-BSP roped in Ajit Singh’s RLD while choos-
The KC Rao led Telangana Rashtra Samithi, which ing to drop the Congress in their fight against the saf-
was once a UPA constituent had been dabbling fron party. The Congress however had a tie up with
with the BJP but has, of late, been making overtures the Krishna Devi faction of Apna Dal and left two seats
towards the Congress. The YSR Congress, which was for them. Together the mahagathbandhan hopes to
born in 2014 out of the grand old party, too may swing bring the BJP significantly down from 71 seats in 2014.
to any side. Similarly in Bihar, which sends 40 members to the
Another issue the BJP and its ideological mentor Lok Sabha, the BJP stooped to offer 17 seats to Nitish
RSS will have to deal with would be to decide on the Kumar’s JD-U and left 6 seats for Ram Vilas Paswan’s
continuity of PM Modi. That would depend much on LJP. The opposition alliance in the state has brought
where the saffron party finally lands, above 225 seats together the RJD, Congress, Sharad Yadav’s LJD, CPI,
or below 200. In both cases, whether Modi would like HAM and RLSP and hopes to contain the NDA.
head a coalition government remains to be seen given Congress managers said they see a return of the
the free run that he enjoyed over the past five years. 2004 like situation because of the high-pitched BJP
Though Mayawati has charged that PM Modi tried campaign which tried to cover the Modi govern-
tehelka / 31 may 2019 14 www.tehelka.com
