Lok Sabha election: BJP’s in alliance-making spree, confident to retain power 

Narendra Modi.

New Delhi: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party appears more confident than before in the final run-up to the 2019 general election, announced on Sunday, after forming alliances with regional parties and making seat-sharing arrangements with smaller groups.

The ruling party has exhibited more alacrity than the opposition’s mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) and finalized tie-ups with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab and the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu.

According to media reports, a senior BJP leader said, “The party is likely to sacrifice many of its policies, like denying seats for those over 75 and its aversion to dynasty politics, to ensure winnable candidates.”

During a meeting of the BJP parliamentary board, leaders also expressed their confidence of doing well in the Lok Sabha election, although there were concerns about the anti-incumbency factor at some places, as seen in the party’s defeat in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Also, many BJP leaders claimed that their chances have become stronger after national security became a significant part of the political discourse following the Pulwama terror attack and the air strikes on terror camps inside Pakistan.

However, the party concedes that it needs to work hard in the southern states. It is also concerned over its prospects in the northeast after the uproar over the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which resulted the walk out of Asom Gana Parishad walking out of the alliance with the BJP in Assam.

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