Ahead of Exit Polls, BJP's Estranged Ally Predicts Lok Sabha Elections Results 2019
Om Prakash Rajbhar said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would be reduced to 15 seats in Uttar Pradesh.
Lucknow, May 19: Ahead of exit polls, Om Prakash Rajbhar, president of the BJP's estranged ally Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), on Sunday predicted the results of Lok Sabha elections. After casting his vote in Ballia, Om Prakash Rajbhar said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would be reduced to 15 seats in Uttar Pradesh. The state has 80 Lok Sabha seats.
Speaking to reporters, Rajbhar predicted a "massive win" for the alliance of Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in eastern Uttar Pradesh. "No party will get a majority in these elections. But in Purvanchal (eastern Uttar Pradesh), I feel that the mahagathbandhan (SP-BSP-RLD combine) will get a massive victory," he said. National Approval Ratings: Mahagathbandhan to Win 50 Out of 80 Uttar Pradesh Seats in 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.
"The SP-BSP alliance will win 55-60 seats, while the Congress will get 2-3 seats," Rajbhar added. Earlier this month, he had resigned from the state cabinet. "I resigned as minister on April 13. It is up to the BJP to decide whether to accept or reject it. I have nothing to do with the government now," he told reporters on May 6. Lok Sabha Elections Results 2019 Predictions by Satta Bazar: BJP to Win 240 Seats Despite Major Loss in Uttar Pradesh.
His party SBSP also fielded candidates in 39 constituencies in eastern Uttar Pradesh including in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency Varanasi. Once-arch rivals, the BSP and SP announced their tie-up in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha polls in January. The SP and BSP have decided not to field candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli, represented by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
Three seats were left for Ajit Singh's RLD. In 2014, the BJP had won 71 seats in Uttar Pradesh while its ally Apna Dal bagged two. The Samajwadi Party won 5 seats and the Congress two, while the BSP drew a blank.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 19, 2019 03:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).