Mumbai, February 25: Seasoned pollsters Sanjay Jha, Yashwant Deshmukh, Prof. Sanjay Kumar and Pradeep Gupta at a panel discussion at Ideas of India Summit on Saturday, spoke about the challenges for BJP in the upcoming 2024 general elections. While Yashwant Deshmukh, Founder, CVoter Foundation, feels West Bengal will be the mother of all battles in election 2024, author and columnist Sanjay Jha said if the 2024 elections centre on issues such as unemployment and poverty, the BJP's chances of re-election appear slim.
Professor Sanjay Kumar thinks NDA will encounter difficulties in seat sharing in Bihar, while consumer data intelligence agency Axis My India chairman Pradeep Gupta claims in southern states, BJP has scope, but they have to form an alliance with another party.
'NDA Has No Chance Of Retaining Power If....'
Commenting on the BJP confidence of retaining power, Sanjay Jha said “If we want to understand how to go beyond slogans and look at ground realities, we need to examine what happened in 2004 and what cannot happen in 2024. In 2019, the BJP had 37% of seats, while the Congress had 20%. This change in the baseline is the reason behind BJP’s confidence.”
He spoke about Chandigarh mayoral elections and the comments made by the Supreme Court regarding electoral bonds. “If elections are conducted based on the issues of 2024, this government has no chance of coming back. If Congress has the spirit and confidence, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra will play crucial roles in the upcoming elections, and Congress must take the lead and provide leadership for the INDIA alliance,” emphasised Jha.
Seat-Sharing Crucial For BJP:
Analyst professor Sanjay Kumar felt Bihar is an important state for the NDA which won 39 of the 40 seats last time. “They need to repeat their performance in Bihar to maintain their edge. The BJP is carefully strategizing for each seat to reach its target of 370+ and 400+ for the NDA. It aims to achieve this ambitious goal but will encounter difficulties in seat sharing,” said the veteran poll analyst.
Pradeep Gupta, speaking about BJP prospects in the Southern States argued that “To emerge victorious, the BJP must form alliances with regional parties in southern states like Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh. The BJP has a scope to reach its target of 370+ and 400+ for NDA. If the AIADMK collaborates with the BJP in Tamil Nadu, it could secure victory for the NDA. In Andhra Pradesh, regional parties hold significant influence. Additionally, it faces the challenge of competing against the ruling Congress in Karnataka.”
