Mood of the Nation poll predicts massive blow for BJP in UP, likely to win 53 seats less than 2014

New Delhi, Jan 24: The India Today-Karvy Insights' Mood of the Nation poll has predicted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA alliance may win just 18 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats on the politically mist crutial state of Uttar Pradesh. The BJP had swept Uttar Pradesh in 2014 Lok Sabha elections by winning 71 seats, while its ally Apna Dal had won two.

This time around, the formidable-looking Samajwadi Party (SP)-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) alliance of which the Rashtriya Lok Dal is also a part may emerge on top and bag 58 seats.

The fortunes of the Congress party is unlikely to change much, as per the poll, and the grand old party could win four seats which is two more than 2014.

Earlier this month, SP's Akhilesh Yadav and BSP's Mayawati forged an alliance for the upcoming 2019 general elections and left the Congress out. The Congress then said it will contest on all Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh on its own.

The poll does not take into account the entry of Priyanka Gandhi into active politics. Yesterday (Jan 23), the Congress appointed her as the General Secretary for the Eastern UP.

The Mood of the Nation poll surveyed a sample of more than 2,400 people in Uttar Pradesh.

The losses for the BJP could have been higher if the Congress was part of the BSP-SP alliance, the poll further found.

The India TV- CNX Opinion Poll 2019, which came out earlier this month, predicted that BJP may win just 40 seats as compared to the previous 71 in Uttar Pradesh.

An ABP News and C-Voter opinion poll in October last year had predicted that BJP-led NDA may return to power after 2019 Lok Sabha elections. It had predicted that the ruling alliance could emerge victorious in 276 of the 543 seats.