BJP may secure 350 seats on its own in Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Surjit Bhalla shares prediction with NDTV.

Surjit Bhalla, in a recent interview with NDTV, shared his insights from his new book ‘How We Vote,’ which delves into the mindset of voters. He predicted that the ruling party, BJP, may secure 330 to 350 seats based on statistical possibilities, emphasizing that this election could potentially result in a wave. However, he also cautioned that it may not necessarily be a wave election. On the other hand, Bhalla projected that the Opposition Congress may secure 44 seats, a 2% decrease from its 2014 performance.

He attributed the challenges facing the opposition alliance to its leadership and emphasized the significance of the economy and leadership in influencing voter behavior, both of which he believes are in favor of the BJP. In terms of seat projections, Bhalla suggested that the BJP could make gains in traditionally weak states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala, citing the improving living conditions of the populace as a contributing factor. He highlighted the importance of people’s lives and economic conditions in shaping voting patterns, emphasizing that the improvement in living standards has redefined the concept of poverty. Bhalla also criticized the reliability of data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), alleging that the Opposition selectively uses it to target the BJP during election season.

He questioned the credibility of the CMIE data, particularly regarding unemployment and women’s workforce participation, labeling it as one of the most untrustworthy datasets in the world. As the Lok Sabha elections progress, Bhalla’s insights provide valuable perspectives on the potential outcomes and factors influencing the voters as the election day approaches.