Watch in I-Minute: Saffron bloom in the East? Why West Bengal and Odisha are crucial to BJP’s success
With elections slipping into the fourth phase, BJP strategists are busy with the math in the unfolding numbers game. It is safe to assume that the party may lose some ground in big states like Uttar Pradesh and even Maharashtra where it had put up a spectacular performance in 2014.
The Modi wave in 2014 had delivered a remarkable 73 of 80 seats in UP and 42 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra to the NDA.
This time, in UP, the SP-BSP combine is giving the ruling party a tough fight in dozens of seats. In Maharashtra, the Congress-NCP combine could increase its seat tally.
Given this backdrop, it’s imperative for the BJP to improve its tally in other parts of the country in the 2019 polls. West Bengal and Odisha are the prime choices.