The NDA led by the BJP is heading for clear majority, a poll on Monday predicted. The coalition would bag 275 seats in the 543-member lower House – the Lok Sabha. This is 16 seats more than its prediction last month.

 

The poll done by Hansa Research estimated 226 seats for the BJP alone – the highest tally ever for the party and the best by any party since 1991. The UPA would garner just 111 seats, with the Congress sinking to its lowest tally ever of 92 seats, it said.

 

The saffron block’s triumph is based on its outstanding increase compared to 2009 in Uttar Pradesh (a gain of 41 seats), Maharashtra (17), Rajasthan (17), Bihar (12), Andhra Pradesh (12) and Madhya Pradesh (10). It stands to gain 109 seats in these six states alone. In most other states too, the Narendra Modi-led alliance is projected to gain, though by more modest amounts.

 

The poll indicated that in three states the NDA would fare worst. These are Karnataka (a loss of seven seats), Chhattisgarh (two) and West Bengal (one).

 

In sharp contrast, the UPA is predicted to lose seats viz-a-viz 2009 in almost every major state, with Andhra Pradesh being the worst case, where the Congress tally could drop from 33 five years ago to just six this time.

 

Except Karnataka and Chhattisgarh, the only other states where the UPA is predicted to wrest more seats are Assam (a gain of two seats) and Bihar, where the increase of six is really only because the RJD is now part of the alliance unlike in 2009.