Though the results of the general elections will be announced on 23 May, the Bharatiya Janata Party, rather than wait for the electoral outcome, has started working on how it will cobble up the required numbers in case the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) falls short of the required majority mark of 272 Members of Parliament.
Senior BJP party sources told The Sunday Guardian that though the chances of the NDA falling short of the 272-mark were quite remote, yet, keeping recent history in mind (Madhya Pradesh and Goa Assembly elections and the 2004 general elections when the NDA faced a shocking and unexpected defeat), party leaders have started talking to “like-minded” leaders and fence-sitters who are not a part of the NDA yet. A top BJP functionary said: “We are very sure of crossing the 272-mark on our own. There is no doubt about it. Yet, we have already held multiple levels of talks with some parties even before the elections began. These interactions have been held at an informal level. Even if we do not need their support in the end, we will support their reasonable demands when we come to power.”