UP Elections 2022: Opinion poll predicts comfortable win for BJP, struggle to reach double digits for Congress
Categories: Election 2022
According the survey, the BJP might end up bagging 230-249 seats in the 403-member House while the Samajwadi Party is likely to bag 137-152 seats. The BSP, which bagged 19 seats in the 2017 assembly polls, is projected to win anywhere between 9-14 seats. On the other hand, the Congress is expected to face another poll debacle with the survey predicting just 4-7 seats for the party. The survey falls in line with other pre-poll surveys which have predicted a smooth victory for the BJP but at the cost a major seat share which will come as a direct gain for the Samajwadi Party. For the BJP, while the Adityanath-led government’s claim of revamping the law and order situation and the development works done in Kashi, Mathura and Varanasi seem to have worked in its favour, the issues of Lakhimpur Kheri violence, second COVID-19 wave and the farmers’ protest might cause substantial dent to its image. All the opposition parties – Congress, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Aam Aadmi Party – have announced to go it alone in the polls scheduled to be held in February-March this year. The parties have rather focused on roping in smaller caste-based parties. However, experts are of the view that a splintered opposition will only end up benefitting the BJP with the division of the votes against it. While the Samajwadi Party has joined hands with Om Prakash Rajbhar’s SBSP, the BJP has formed alliance with seven smaller caste-based parties. The BJP has downplayed the SP’s alliances with smaller parties, and has said that its alliance Apna Dal and Nishad Party will be much more impactful in the elections.