Mumbai, December 21: An internal survey conducted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has predicted a neck-and-neck contest between the saffron party and the Congress-NCP alliance in Maharashtra if the Shiv Sena decides to go solo in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The survey also said even if the BJP and Shiv Sena join hands, they won't be able to touch the tally of 41 that they together had secured in Maharashtra in the 2014 general elections.

According to the survey, the BJP-Shiv Sena combine, if it happens, would win fewer than 30 to 34 seats of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. "If we contest separately, the BJP may win 15 to 18 seats, while the Shiv Sena will be able to secure five to eight seats. In that event, the Congress-NCP combine will win 22 to 28 seats," a former BJP minister told TOI. The BJP and Shiv Sena together had bagged 41 seats in 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

After some bypolls, the BJP has 22 seats, the Sena 18, the Congress two, the NCP 5, and one seat is held by the Swabhimani Paksha. The BJP minister added the party's national president Amit Shah is keen on contesting 2019 Lok Sabha elections in an alliance with Shiv Sena to repeated the 2014 performance. Sena has reportedly asked for chief ministerial post irrespective of its seat numbers if the BJP-Sena combine comes to power in the state. Lok Sabha Elections 2019: NDA Finalises Seat-Sharing Pact in Bihar, LJP to Contest on Six Seats.

While the BJP and Shiv Sena are yet to decide on the alliance, the Congress and NCP will contest the next Lok Sabha elections together. "Whether there is an alliance between the BJP and the Shiv Sena or not, we are sure the Congress-NCP combine will secure 38 seats, while the Shiv-Sena-BJP combine will secure 10 seats," NCP spokesman Nawab Malik was quoted as saying.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 21, 2018 08:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).