BJP Pits Smriti-Irani against Rahul Gandhi from Amethi and SC Lawyer Ajay Aggarwal against Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli

The BJP in a late night decision on Monday named actor-politician Smriti Irani as its Amethi candidate to take on Rahul Gandhi and make a match of a contest tilted heavily in favour of the Congress vice-president.

Contrary to speculation, the BJP opted for a Supreme Court lawyer, Ajay Aggarwal, and not Uma Bharti, for Rae Bareli from where Congress president Sonia Gandhi is seeking a re-election.

With the Congress making public its intention to put up a "formidable" candidate against its PM candidate Narendra Modi in Varanasi, the BJP decided to challenge Rahul, who is leading the Congress’ Lok Sabha campaign.

The party expects its Rajya Sabha MP to put up a "tough" fight in a likely triangular contest in which Aam Aadmi Party’s Kumar Vishwas, a poet, is the third contestant.

The Samajwadi Party, which is in power in Uttar Pradesh, has decided against fielding candidates from the Gandhi pocket boroughs of Amethi and Rae Bareli.

Irani, who became a household name playing Tulsi in a popular TV soap, has served the party in various capacities — national secretary, chief of women's wing and now as a vice-president.

The 38-year-old, feels the party, would not only add glamour to the fight, but will also have the advantage of being the only prominent woman candidate from Amethi that goes to the polls on May 7.

"She is an energetic politician, who will make a difference despite the delayed announcement of her candidature," a BJP leader said.

The party didn’t opt for Bharti as she was reluctant to give up the Jhansi seat from where her candidature had been announced. "The party was not willing to concede to her demand for contesting from two seats in Uttar Pradesh," BJP sources said.

Earlier, she had flip-flopped on the party's offer to take on Sonia. First, Bharti said she would not leave Jhansi but a few days later she declared that she was ready to contest both the seats.

Minutes after his he was named the Rae Bareli candidate, Aggarwal told reporters that it was his petition before the Supreme Court in the Taj corridor case that eventually led to the fall of Mayawati government. He claimed contributing “a lot in exposing the truth in Bofors scandal”.

The BJP, said sources, was also close to sealing an alliance with N Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP), delayed by last-minute glitches over seat-sharing. The talks with the TDP were "not over" and might take "a couple of more days", the party said.

The BJP wants to contest 40 of the 119 assembly seats and eight of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana. "We are even ready to accept two or three Lok Sabha seats (of 25) in Seemandhra, but agreeing to anything less than 25 assembly seats (out of 175) would be not possible," a BJP leader said.

Andhra Pradesh is holding assembly polls along with the Lok Sabha polls in two phases – April 30 in Telangana and May 7 in Seemandhra. The southern state is to be split on June 2 when a formal notification will name Telangana as the 29th state of the Indian union.

Source: Hindustan Times

BJP Candidates-List of Bihar 2014 Lok Sabha Election

BJP Candidates-List of Bihar for 2014 Lok Sabha Election
S. No.	Lok Sabha Seats	BJP Candidate Names
1	Bhagalpur	Shahnawaz Hussain
2	Darbhanga	Kirti Azad
3	Madhubani	Hukum Dev Narayan Yadav
4	Begusarai	Bhola Singh
5	Nawada	Giriraj Singh
6	Saran	Rajiv Pratap Rudi
7	Patna Sahib	Shatrughan Sinha
8	Arrah	R. K. Singh
9	Muzaffarpur	Ajay Nishad
10	Siwan	Om Prakash Yadav
11	Aurangabad (Bihar)	Sushil Kumar Singh
12	Patli Putra	Ram Kripal Yadav
13	Buxar	Ashwani Kumar Choubey
14	Sasaram (SC)	Chhedi Paswan
15	Valmiki Nagar	Satish Dubey
16	Gopalganj (SC)	Janak Ram
17	Banka	Putal Devi
18	Maharajganj (Bihar)	Janardan Singh Sigriwal
19	Paschim Champaran	Sanjay Jaisawal
20	Purvi Champaran	Radha Mohan Singh
21	Sheohar	Rama Devi
22	Sitamarhi
23	Jhanjharpur	Virendra Kumar Chaudhary
24	Supaul	Kameshwar Choupal
25	Araria	Pradeep Singh
26	Kishanganj	Dilip Jaisawal
27	Katihar	Nikhil Kumar Chaudhary
28	Purnia	Uday Singh
29	Madhepura	Vijay Kumar Kushwaha
30	Jahanabad
31	Karakat
32	Gaya (SC)	Hari Majhi
33	Nalanda
34	Ujiarpur	Nityanand Rai
35	Hajipur (SC)	Ram Vilas Paswan (LJP)
36	Jamui (SC)	Chirag Paswan (LJP)
37	Samastipur (SC)	Ram Chandra Paswan (LJP)
38	Khagaria	Pashupati Kumar Paswan (LJP)
39	Vaishali	Rama Singh (LJP)
40	Munger	Chandan Singh (LJP)

[Note: The remaining candidates list will be updates as it is announced.]

Source: BJP.Org

No 'Plan B': Narendra Modi to Decide BJP's Course if it Fails in Lok Sabha Polls

Narendra Modi stands the best chance of becoming prime minister after the Lok Sabha elections and he alone will decide what course the BJP takes if it fails to get the required numbers on its own. This is the prevalent view in the RSS.

Top leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP’s ideological parent, also dismissed speculation about a ‘Plan B’ in the BJP — the possibility of a more “acceptable” leader taking Modi’s place if the number don’t add up in favour of the designated PM candidate — as “empty talk”.

They said they didn’t see Modi not making it when all reports pointed to a huge surge in favour of the Modi-led BJP campaign. Their assessment was that Modi would make it “without difficulty”.

“All this talk of Modi being replaced or somebody being appointed deputy PM is plain bunkum. Everything will depend on what Modi wants after the results,” an RSS insider said on Thursday. “Either it will be Modi as PM or the BJP decides to sit in the opposition. Modi will have the final say in consultation with others on the BJP’s next course of action.”

He added, “The RSS is clear that there should be no short cut to power. If you get the numbers, form the government. Otherwise, wait your turn. But we do not think such an eventuality is likely. The BJP is set for a comfortable win to form the government under Modi.”

The RSS’ views come in the backdrop of BJP circles being abuzz with post-poll possibilities and whether Modi would make way for someone else, be it LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj or even BJP president Rajnath Singh.

Talk of a “deputy PM” started after Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal suggested Arun Jaitley, the BJP’s Amritsar candidate, could be given that post in the event of an NDA government coming to power. Jaitely sought to play down the remark.

On Wednesday, Madhya Pradesh tourism minister Surendra Patwa said Swaraj could be a future deputy PM.

Rajnath added to the buzz with two controversial tweets, the first saying “Ab ki baar, Bhajapa sarkar (time for a BJP government)” that he replaced 33 minutes later with “Ab ki baar, Modi sarkar (time for a Modi government)”.

“We do not think on these lines at all. This is pure speculation without any basis or support of the Sangh. Having led this campaign, it will have to be Modi who takes the final call. There is no doubt about that,” said another RSS insider.

The RSS has also not taken kindly to the crisis in the BJP over ticket distribution —with Advani expressing a sudden desire to shift to Bhopal, Swaraj tweeting her opposition to the selection process and expressing “sadness” over veteran Jaswant Singh being denied the Barmer seat.

The Sangh leaders were keen to emphasise that neither RSS chief Mohan Bhagat, nor his deputy Bhaiyaaji Joshi had any role in these issues.

Source: HindustanTimes

Battle for Vadodara: Modi's Journey from an RSS Pracharak to BJP’s PM Candidate

The one-room office with a bed laid in a corner of the building called “Keshavniketan” in Shastripol area was Narendra Modi’s first camp in Vadodara in 1980, recalls Chandrakant Ravalia (57), who first met him in 1973 at the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS) shibir in Nadiad. Modi came here as an RSS pracharak, when the city was under influence largely of the Congress, with its prominent royal scions as its parliamentarians.

The battle for Vadodara and the PMO now promises to be interesting with the Congress changing its candidate to field general secretary Madhusudan Mistry, who is also the party’s Uttar Pradesh in charge.

He replaces city unit president Narendra Ravat who had won the primaries. The other contenders are Samajwadi Party’s Kirit Prakash Yadav and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Janata Dal (U) which will also field candidates.

Vadodara parliamentary constituency, which covers a good part of the erstwhile Gaekwadi state of Baroda, is also dubbed the culture capital of Gujarat, mainly because of its former ruler Sayajirao Gaekwad III, who gave the city a distinct cosmopolitan character, world-class architecture, academic institutions and the arts.

Modi returns to Vadodara as BJP’s prime ministerial candidate to fight the Lok Sabha elections, long after the city’s political vote went to the BJP, at the hands of “Sita” literally.

In 1991, the BJP fielded Deepika Chikhalia, a political novice and television actor who became popular playing the character of “Sita” in the serial Ramayana, when the serial was at its peak popularity. She defeated Ranjitsinh Gaekwad, the late maharaja of Vadodara and sitting MP.

Considered a safe seat, the sitting BJP MLA Balkrishna Shukla won with a huge margin of over 1.5 lakh votes in 2009 LS elections. The city BJP leaders are already publicising Modi’s candidature from here as a coincidence (Varanasi and Vadodara) of the letter “V” — a sign Modi often waves for victory.

Vadodara parliamentary seat was held by the Congress — backed by the traditional popularity of Gaekwad royal scions, who fought on the party ticket beginning with the late Fatehsinhrao Gaekwad in 1957, followed by his younger brother Ranjitsinh. Briefly, Pashabhai Patel of Swatantra Party and Prakash Brahmbhatt of Janata Dal won the seat in 1967 and 1989, respectively.

But the BJP lost to the Congress in 1996, to win it back in 1998 with MP Jayaben Thakkar, who won thrice consecutively, followed by Shukla.

By 2012, the Gaekwads had started warming up to Modi and the current maharaja, Samarjitsinh, is a member of the BJP. “I was inspired by Modi to work for the RSS. I first met him in Vadodara in 1980, when he came here to work as a pracharak. He was a hard-working karyakarta, venturing out to remote regions around Vadodara to meet people. We’d go along on a rickety Vespa scooter that I owned,” said Manibhai Patel (65), who is now working as the state general secretary of the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, an RSS wing.

There are 11.4 lakh voters in Vadodara Lok Sabha constituency, with 5.9 lakhs female voters and 5.4 lakhs male voters. The seven Assembly constituencies within Vadodara LS seat — Sayajigunj, Vadodara city, Akota, Raopura, Manjalpur, Savli and Waghodia — are all held by the BJP. The party also rules over city’s municipal corporation.

Waghodia area saw one of the bloodiest massacres of 2002 riots with the killing of 14 people in the Best Bakery, which was tried in Maharashtra after an indictment from the Supreme Court.

Madhu Srivastava, the Waghodia MLA, has had several run-ins with the law, including his dubious role in the Best Bakery case which surfaced in a sting operation where he details how he bribed the prime witness Zahira Sheikh who had turned hostile. Srivastava was also accused but later acquitted in a scam related to paying a packaging contractor.

Srivastava released a Gujarati movie last week, featuring him as a hero, Thakorna Kol, Jagma Anmol, which briefly landed in trouble after some activists complained that it violated the model code of conduct.

Source: IndianExpress

Eye on Patel Votes in UP-BJP Allies with Apna-Dal ahead of 2014 Polls

In an attempt to woo the Kurmi community in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP on Monday entered into a pre-poll alliance with Apna Dal that will contest from two Lok Sabha seats — Pratapgarh and Mirzapur — under the alliance in the state. Each of these two seats have more than 1.5 lakh Patel votes.

"It (alliance) will strengthen BJP and Apna Dal as well," said BJP general secretary incharge of Uttar Pradesh Amit Shah after the announcement at party headquarters in the capital on Monday.

"Modi also comes from a backward caste. His leadership will change the fortune of the country," Apna Dal general secretary Anupriya Patel said after the announcement of the alliance. The sizeable presence of Patel community votes in two rural Assembly segments of Varanasi Lok Sabha seat from where BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is contesting, appears to have led to the alliance.

The BJP, which is keen to revive its OBC support base in UP, has also tried to woo non-Yadav OBC communities like Kurmi and Lodh-Rajput backward communities in the state.

While the Apna Dal derives its support from Kurmi support base, the BJP has given tickets to six Lodh-Rajput candidates — Rajveer Singh (son of former UP CM Kalyan Singh), Uma Bharti, Sakshi Maharaj, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Mukesh Rajput and Naipal Singh — to woo these two non-Yadav OBC communities in the state.

BJP sources in Varanasi said that Patels in these areas, who belong to the Kurmi community, have traditionally been the saffron party supporters. But in the late 1990s, they gradually swayed towards the Apna Dal, established by Anupriya’s father Sone Lal Patel.

The total Patel community votes in Varanasi Lok Sabha seat are pegged at nearly 2.5 lakh. Apart from Rohaniya and Sewapuri, where conservative estimates put their number at over a lakh each, there are a few pockets in the city area too. In sealing the alliance, the BJP also appears to have given due thought to the possible game-spoiler effect which Apna Dal may have had, if Anupriya contested from Varanasi.

In 2012, she had polled nearly 58,000 votes in.

Source: FinancialExpress.com

BJP Candidates-List of Uttar Pradesh (UP) 2014 Lok Sabha Elections

BJP Candidates-List of Uttar Pradesh (UP) for 2014 Lok Sabha Election
S. No.	Lok Sabha Seats	BJP Candidate Names
1	Varanasi	Narendra Modi
2	Lucknow	Rajnath Singh
3	Kanpur	Murli Manohar Joshi
4	Jhansi	Uma Bharti
5	Etah	Rajveer Singh
6	Gorakhpur	Yogi Aditya Nath
7	Shrawasti	Daddan Mishra
8	Domariaganj	Jagdambika Pal
9	Gonda	Kirti Vardhan Singh
10	Kairana	Hukum Singh
11	Muzaffarnagar	Sanjeev Balyan
12	Bijnor	Rajendra Singh Advocate
13	Nagina (SC)
14	Moradabad	Kunwar Sarvesh Singh
15	Rampur	Naipal Singh
16	Sambhal	Satyapal Saini
17	Amroha	Kanwar Singh Tanwar
18	Meerut	Rajendra Aggrawal
19	Baghpat	Satpal Singh
20	Ghaziabad	General V K Singh
21	Gautam Buddh Nagar	Mahesh Sharma
22	Bulandshahar (SC)	Bhola Singh
23	Hathras (SC)	Rajesh Diwakar
24	Mathura	Hema Malini
25	Agra (SC)	Ramshankar Katheriya
26	Aligarh	Satish Goutam
27	Fatehpur Sikri	Chaudhary Babulal
28	Firozabad	S P Singh Baghel
29	Mainpuri	B S S Chauhan
30	Badaun	Vagish Pathak
31	Piliphit	Menka Gandhi
32	Shahjahanpur (SC)	Krishna Raj
33	Aonla	Dharmendra Kashyap
34	Sitapur	Sitapur
35	Bareilly	Santosh Gangwar
36	Kheri	Ajay Mishra Taini
37	Dhaurahra	Rekha Verma
38	Hardoi (SC)	Anshul Verma
39	Misrikh (SC)	Anju Bala
40	Unnao	Harisakshi Maharaj
41	Mohanlalganj	Kaushal Kishore
42	Amethi	Smriti Irani
43	Rai Barely	Ajay Aggarwal
44	Sultanpur	Varun Gandhi
45	Machhlisharah (SC)	Ramcharitra Nishad
46	Ghazipur	Manoj Sinha
47	Jaunpur	K P Singh
48	Ballia	Bharat Singh
49	Salempur	Ravindra Kushwaha
50	Ghosi	Harinarayan Rajbhar
51	Azamgarh	Ramakant Yadav
52	Lalganj (SC)	Leelam Sonkar
53	Bansgaon (SC)	Kamlesh Paswan
54	Deoria	Kalraj Mishra
55	Kushi Nagar	Rajesh Pandey
56	Maharajganj (SC)	Pankaj Chaudhary
57	Sant Kabir Nagar	Sharad Tripathi
58	Basti	Harish Dwivedi
59	Saharanpur	Raghav Lakhanpal
60	Kaisarganj	Brijbhushan Sharan Singh
61	Baharaich (SC)	Savitri Bai Phule
62	Ambedkar Nagar	Hariom Pandey
63	Faizabad	Lalu Singh
64	Barabanki (SC)	Priyanka Rawat
65	Allahabad	Shyama Charan Gupt
66	Phulpur	Keshav Mourya
67	Kaushambi (SC)	Vinok Sonkar
68	Fatehpur	Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti
69	Banda	Bhairon Prasad Mishra
70	Hamirpur (UP)	Pushpendra Singh Chandel
71	Jalaun	Bhanu Verma
72	Kanpur Rural - Akbarpur	Devendra Bhole
73	Kannauj	Subrat Pathak
74	Etawah (SC)	Ashok Dohre
75	Farrukhabad	Mukesh Rajput
76	Pratapgarh	(Apna Dal)
77	Chandauli	Mahendra Nath Pandey
78	Bhadohi	Virendra Singh Mast
79	Mirzapur	Anupriya Patel (Apna Dal)
80	Robartsganj (SC)	Chhote Lal Kharwar

Source: BJP.org

BJP Announces Six-Party Alliance in Tamil Nadu and its Seat Sharing

Chennai: The BJP on Thursday announced the formation of a six-party rainbow alliance for the April 24 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, in its first-ever such electoral venture in the State where the turf has been largely dominated by the DMK and the AIADMK.

The announcement about the sealing of the alliance was made by BJP president Rajnath Singh who described it as a ’historic’ moment for Tamil Nadu and also for the country as seven parties had come into NDA-fold.

Flanked by alliance partners, Rajnath Singh told a press conference in Chennai that out of the 39 seats, actor-politician Vijayakant’s DMDK will fight for 14 seats while the PMK and the BJP will field candidates in eight constituencies each.

Vaiko’s MDMK has been allotted seven seats while the IJK and the KMDK have been given one constituency each.

Local BJP leaders were all smiles as the month-long efforts and protracted negotiations in the wake of some of the allies insisting on particular seats fructified as the party seeks to return a sizeable number of MPs from the state towards achieving formation of a Narendra Modi-led NDA government.

Replicating the strategy of the two major Dravidian parties which have been taking up the emotive fishermen and Sri Lankan Tamils issue as a plank, Singh promised these were also on the “top priority” of his party.

“Their (fishermen) release will be our topmost priority and also protecting their livelihood,” he said.

Accusing the UPA of being responsible for the travails faced by Sri Lankan Tamils, he said “under UPA, India was not able to impress Sri Lanka to resolve Tamils issue. NDA will work to impress Sri Lanka as it is also in our security interest.” Singh’s announcement of seat-sharing was made in the presence of actor turned politician Vijayakant, Anbumani Ramadoss (PMK), Vaiko, IJK’s Pachamuthu and KMDK’s Easwaran.

Soon after his arrival in Chennai, Rajnath Singh met with leaders of allies for nearly four hours, giving final touches to the alliance and also ironing out differences among the partners over certain seats.

He managed to convince the PMK to give up the claim on the Salem seat and accommodate the request by the DMDK.

The other national party, the Congress, which used to ride piggy back on the DMK or the AIADMK, has been left to face the polls on its own this time with both shunning it.

Launching a tirade against the Congress-led UPA, Singh charged it with leaving the country’s economy in a “mess” and slammed it over unemployment, inflation and price-rise.

He also attacked at UPA for the spate of scams allegedly involving the ruling coalition and said people were no more prepared to live with the scandals.

“The entire country is yearning for a decisive change. People are determined to unseat UPA. In South, including in Tamil Nadu, new alliances are emerging. People want to see an NDA government with Modi as Prime Minister,” he said.

Following is the seat-sharing agreement announced by Rajnath Singh:

DMDK: Tiruvallur (SC), Central Chennai, North Chennai, Villupuram (SC), Kallakurichi, Salem, Namakkal, Karur, Dindigul, Tiruchirappalli, Cuddalore, Madurai, Tirunelveli and Tiruppur.

BJP: South Chennai, Vellore, Nilagiri (SC), Coimbatore, Tanjavur, Sivagangai, Ramanathapuram, Kanyakumari.

PMK: Arakkonam, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Arani, Chidambaram (SC) Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvannamalai, Nagapattinam (SC).

MDMK: Kancheepuram (SC), Erode, Theni, Virudhunagar, Thoothukudi, Sriperumbudur, Tenkasi (SC).

IJK: Perambalur

KMDK: Pollachi

Source: IndiaTVNews.com

Lok Sabha Elections 2014: 10-Key Contestants Worth to Watch

The general election to the lower house Lok Sabha is to be held from 7 April to 12 May in nine phases. The polls are going to form the 16th Lok Sabha. Though some of the parties are yet to annouce their candidates, here are 10 key contestants for the Lok Sabha election.

Narendra Modi: Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is to contest from Varanasi, the spiritual city of India. He is also likely to contest from a second seat in his home state, most probably from Ahmedabad. Another senior leader of BJP, Murli Manohar Joshi, vacated the Varanasi seat for Modi this time. Joshi is to contest from Kanpur seat against the Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal.

Sonia Gandhi: Congress president and Chairperson of UPA, Sonia Gandhi is to contest from Rae Bareli. In 1999, she was also elected to Lok Sabha from Bellary in Karnataka. Sonia is a three-term successive MP from Rae Bareli since 2004. Her mother-in-law Indira Gandi was also elected from the same seat to Lok Sabha for three times.

Rahul Gandi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is to constest from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh again. He contested from the seat successively since 2004 and this would be the third time he is contesting from the constituency.

Sushma Swaraj: The Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj is to contest from Vidisha constituency in Madhya Pradesh. She got elected from the same seat to the present Lok Sabha. Though she contested from the Bellary seat unsuccessfully in 1999 against Sonia Gandhi, she earned great popularity in Karnataka.

Medha Patkar: Better known for her "Narmada Bachao Andolan' movement, Medha Patkar, a social activist, is to contest from Mumbai North East constituency on a ticket from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). She is pitted against candidates of NCP and Shiv Sena-BJP in the financial capital of India.

Mohammed Kaif: Former cricketer Mohammed Kaif will contest from Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh on a Congress ticket. Late prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had won the seat three times. The Lok Sabha seat had been a baston of Samajwadi Party from 1996 till 2009. However, in the 2009 polls, Bahujan Samaj Party won the seat. This time, the cricketer's popularity will be put to the test in the election.

Nandan Nilekani: Former Chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) Nandan Nilekani, expected to be the dark horse of Congress, has been very keen to win from Bangalore South constituency. He is to face the BJP's HN Anantha Kumar, a former Union minister and a five-time MP.

Arun Jaitley: For the first time, BJP senior leader Arun Jaitley is constesting the Lok Sabha election. He is getting into the poll fray from Amritsar constituency in Punjab, which has sent Navjot Singh Siddu to the Lok Sabha since 2004. Jaitley has been a familiar face on TV as the BJP spokesperson.

Shatrughan Sinha: Popular yesteryear actor Shatrughan Sinha is to re-contest from Patna Sahib constituency in Bihar. He was elected from the same seat in 2009. He was a Union Cabinet Minister of Health and Family Welfare from January 2003 to May 2004.

Rajnath Singh: BJP president Rajnath Singh is contesting from the Lucknow seat. The constituency was a fortess to former Prime Minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee from 1991 to 2004. Last time, Rajnath had won from the Ghaziabad constituency.

Source: IBTimes.co.in

BJP to Announce Second List, Modi might Contest from Varanasi

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party's second list of candidates for Lok Sabha elections is expected to be released today. The announcement is likely to be made after the party's Central Elections Committee meeting in Delhi today.

There has to be due consideration and consultation before including new people in the list, said LK Advani, ahead of the meeting. The party had announced it's first list of 54 candidates in February.

All Eyes on Varanasi Lok Sabha Seat:

As the party is set to declare the second list of candidates, rumours are going around about the Varanasi seat. BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi might contest from Varanasi. The constituency originally belongs to senior party leader Murli Manohar Joshi.

There are reports that party President Rajnath Singh may be shifted from Ghaziabad to Lucknow.

Around 50-100 candidates will be cleared by the committee in the meeting, which will be attended by all top party leaders including Narendra Modi, LK Advani, Rajnath Singh.

The states under consideration in the second meeting would be Uttarakhand, 5 constituencies, some constituencies in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Source: OneIndia

2014 Poll-Tracker: NDA Makes Huge Gains-Set to Win around 230+ Seats in LS Polls

With the battle dates for the Lok Sabha polls finally announced, the country is increasingly anxious to know who will form the next government.

Politics being a game of last minute surprises is especially true of India, so no one really knows what the final answer is. However there are a few factors we can see now, that could really shape the formation of the Lok Sabha:

At one level there is the Modi factor, in another there is the resurgence of Rahul Gandhi, and then again there is a new federal front with leaders like Mamata Banerjee and Jayalalithaa, and last but not least, the 10-party 'Third Front' team which comprises veterans like Mulayam Singh Yadav.

However, in this labyrinthian architecture of Indian polity, the one party that has risen above the rest for now is the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The Lokniti-IBN Tracker Survey that was conducted across six key states—Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Delhi—found that the BJP had made considerable progress in the last two months. The sample size of the survey was 8,741 in January and 9,104 in February.

"We are happy that we are making progress. But we are not satisfied with the 220-230 mark for NDA. Our mission is very clear which is Mission 272+," BJP spokesperson Smriti Irani told CNN-IBN during a panel discussion.

Nationalist Congress Party chief spokesperson Devi Prasad Tripathi did not agree that the path is completely open. "Any alliance which forges a combined strength of 100 members will be decisive.

The NDA should realise that the number of non-NDA members is much larger in Parliament. All secular fronts including the Congress and the federal front should unite to take on the BJP," Tripathi said.

The NCP leader, however, admitted that there are problems ahead for the UPA, especially given that it has remained in power for 10 years continuously. Trinamool Congress spokesperson Derek O' Brien who was also on the show, made it clear that the party is not seeking an alliance with the BJP.

Disagreeing with the survey findings, he instead vouched for the federal front. "There will be no tie up with the BJP. With the Left getting left out as we saw in Tamil Nadu today, the scene for Trinamool Congress will improve even more.

For that reason I don't believe your numbers," Brien said. "We are very optimistic about chief ministers for example, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Tamil Nadu etc. who have done good work in their respective states. Let me also tell you that Mamata Banerjee is not keen to be prime minister. She said any competent leader like Jayalalithaa or Nitish can be the prime minister. This is a non-issue for us," he said.

Despite the noise the party that is really finding it tough to make a mark nationally is the Aam Aadmi Party. "There is tremendous disappointment and anger with the UPA. In fact, the UPA may perform even worse than the numbers that the survey revealed. About us, the AAP is actually making it a battle of substitute versus alternative.

By raking issues like KG basin and Reliance Industries, Arvind Kejriwal may succeed in bringing more seats for the party," said AAP chief spokesperson Yogendra Yadav. "Our attempt is to have a presence in the first election and not to win it. We are allowing more Indians to express through us," Yadav said.

Source: FirstPost

Tamil Nadu: AIADMK-Left Alliance Collapses-DMDK in Talks with BJP

Chennai: In a major setback for the Third Front, the Left parties were forced to snap their ten-day-old alliance with the AIADMK after seat-sharing talks failed. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had been quick to tie up with Left parties in early February. It was feted as the beginning of the Third Front dream, but just over a month later and dream has collapsed.

Differences emerged after the AIADMK offered CPI and CPM just one seat each in the state. The Left refused to settle for less than three.

With more than a month to go for the Lok Sabha elections, it appears that Jayalalithaa is keeping her options open. Sources in the AIADMK have told CNN-IBN that Jayalalithaa is unlikely to go for a pre-poll arrangement with either the BJP or the Left parties. Instead, Jayalalithaa is using her campaign rallies to attack the Congress and the DMK while remaining silent on the BJP.

Meanwhile actor-turned politician Vijaykanth's DMDK, too, is in talks for a tie up with the BJP. With Vaiko's MDMK, and Ramadoss's PMK already on board, it appears that the BJP is building a rainbow alliance in the state. The question then is as to where this leaves the DMK.

"The DMK would definitely look for this opportunity to wean away the Left because DMK needs multiple coalition partners to have some impact. So they are looking at the DMDK, Left Front, every body and if the Congress is not coming to DMK, the Left would be inclined to come to the DMK," said Political analyst Gnani Sankaran.

Friendless, the Congress may then be forced to go solo in the southern state for the first time in 16 years.

Source: IBNLive

UP Poll Tracker:BJP may Get 41-49 Seats,SP 11-17,BSP 8-14,Cong 5-9

New Delhi: The BJP is expected to stage an impressive comeback in Uttar Pradesh according to CNN-IBN-Lokniti-CSDS election tracker. It is likely to garner 36 per cent votes in a multi corner contest.

As per the seat projections by Dr Rajeeva Kharandikar, Director, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Chennai, the BJP will win 41-49 seats in the state which has 80 Lok Sabha constituencies.

The ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) is projected to get just 11-17 seats. The BSP led by Mayawati is also facing a near rout with the survey giving it just 8-14 seats. The Congress, which came second in the last elections, is projected to get just 5-9 seats. Others are expected to win 1-5 seats if the elections are held today.

Vote Share

The BJP is showing signs of huge improvement in UP. According to the election tracker, the party has doubled its vote share in the last 5 years. In 2009, it polled just 18 per cent votes. It has now gone up to 36 per cent votes in India's most populous state. Even though the ruling SP seems to have lost just 1 per cent votes compared to its 23 per cent share in 2009, it is expected to lose more seats this time. The BSP which got 28 per cent votes in 2009 is expected to garner just 17 per cent votes this time. The Congress is likely to get 13 per cent votes. The AAP is expected to get 5 per cent and Others to get 7 per cent.

BJP continues to do exceedingly well among the upper castes and section of the OBCs, although support among them has declined somewhat since the last survey in January. Among the Brahmins 62 per cent, among the Rajputs 54 per cent, among the Jats 45 per cent and among the middle and lower income groups 48 per cent are likely to back the BJP. The Samajwadi Party seems to have regained some lost ground among Muslims compared to the January survey. 47 per cent Muslims respond that they will vote for the SP. Among the Muslims, 24 per cent opt for the Congress, 13 per cent for the BJP, 9 per cent for the AAP and just 6 per cent for the BSP.

The AAP is doing well only Western UP. It is expected to get 20 per cent votes there.

NARENDRA MODI LEADS PM RACE

BJP's PM nominee Narendra Modi is leading the PM race with 34 per cent backing in UP. In January it was 35 per cent. Rahul Gandhi has got 11 per cent backing. In last January, it was 12 per cent for him. BSP Supremo Mayawati has got 11 per cent support and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has got 10 per cent support for the post of PM. Nearly half the respondents said Modi should contest polls from UP. This sentiment is the strongest in Eastern UP (54 per cent) and the weakest in Ruhelkhand (29 per cent).

ALLIANCES

Two in five SP and BSP voters are supporting an alliance with the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections. Overall 22 per cent respondents back the idea.

AKHILESH LOSES MORE SUPPORT

The people's report card of Akhilesh Yadav's government is even more negative than it was seven months ago. However, overall satisfaction level with the SP government remains the same as it was in July 2013. It is still 49 per cent.

ON UPA and PM

Interstingly for the first time in seven months, the UPA government has been rated more positively than negatively in UP. 47 per cent respondents are satisfied with the UPA and 42 per cent are dissatisfied. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's performance as the PM has also rated more positively than negatively. He, too, has 47 per cent satisfactory votes and 41 dissatisfactory votes.

Although the UPA's governance ratings have improved in Uttar Pradesh, most people in the state are still unwilling to give it another chance. Mere 24 per cent respondents are ready to give it another chance as against 53 per cent not willing to re-elect the Congress at the Centre.

Source: IBNLive

Bihar Poll-Tracker: BJP-LJP 22-30 Seats, JDU 4-8, RJD-Cong 2-6 Each

New Delhi: Like neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, the BJP is expected to do extremely well even in Bihar. According to CNN-IBN-Lokniti-CSDS election tracker, the BJP-LJP alliance is expected to sweep aside its opponents and win a large number of seats. As per seat projections by Prof Rajeeva Kharandikar, Director, Chennai Mathematical Institute, BJP-LJP alliance will win 22-30 seats in Bihar.

The ruling JDU is facing a near rout with the party expected to win just 4-8 Lok Sabha seats. Lalu Prasad led RJD is projected to win 2-6 seats, the Congress 2-6 and the others projected to win 0-2 seats if elections are held, today. Ram Vilas Paswan led LJP, which recently joined the NDA, is piggybacking on the BJP wave in Bihar which has 40 Lok Sabha seats.

VOTE SHARE:

The BJP is expected to get 38 per cent vote in Bihar as against just 14 per cent in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. The JDU which snapped ties with the BJP in June 2013 is expected to get 20 per cent votes. The Congress is expected to get 13 per cent, the RJD 12 per cent, the LJP 4 per cent, the AAP 2 per cent and the others are expected to get 11 per cent votes.

The massive upper caste consolidation behind BJP is a clearly visible factor in Bihar. The RJD and the JDU have not been able to retain their core votes in the same way; Muslim and Dalit votes are divided among the parties. A record 76 per cent upper caste voters are backing the BJP. Even among the OBCs, 48 per cent are backing the BJP. Just 30 per cent Muslims are backing the Congress and 22 per cent of them are backing the ruling JDU.

The proportion of those blaming the JDU for break up of alliance with the BJP has also declined steadily over last seven months. Now just 23 per cent blame the JDU and 35 per cent blame both the JDU and BJP for this.

The RJD voters seem to be keener for an alliance with the Congress than the JDU voters; however, the RJD voters are also more supportive of a JDU-Congress alliance than the JDU voters are of an RJD-Cong alliance.

NARENDRA MODI LEADS PM RACE:

BJP's PM nominee Narendra Modi is leading the PM race in Bihar with 41 per cent votes. Modi has gained 2 per cent more votes since the January survey. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has come a distant second with 14 per cent backing. Nitish Kumar is a strong Third Front contender for the post of the PM. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has got 10 per cent backing for the post of PM. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has got just 3 per cent backing in the state for the post of PM. However, in a direct face off, gap between Modi and Nitish narrows. While 48 per cent back Modi for PM, 32 per cent back Nitish for PM.

HIGH LEVEL SATISFACTION WITH NITISH GOVERNMENT:

A very high 73 per cent respondents feel that they are happy with the JDU government led by Nitish Kumar. Only 21 per cent answer that they are not satisfied with it. The satisfaction with the UPA government's performance has also gone up significantly in Bihar in last one month.

Also 49 per cent respondents claim that they are happy with the UPA government at the Centre and 45 per cent respondents claim that they are not satisfied with it. PM Manmohan Singh's performance is rated much more positively in Bihar than in the last survey conducted in January, this year. While 50 per cent say they are happy with him, 42 per cent say they are not happy with him.

The anti-UPA sentiment is still strong in Bihar but declines since January. 58 per cent respondents feel that the UPA should not get another chance at the Centre. Just 21 per cent feel that it should get another chance. There is a clear Narendra Modi effect in Bihar. Emphasis on the PM candidate as a main voting consideration has also gone up in Bihar. 43 per cent respondents say that they vote for a party and 22 per cent claim that they go by local candidate.

Source: IBNLive

India to Have 9-Phase Lok Sabha Polls from 07-April to 12-May 2014

Phase-1 Lok Sabha Poll: 07-April 2014	Phase-2 Lok Sabha Poll: 09-April 2014	Phase-3 Lok Sabha Poll: 10-April 2014	Phase-4 Lok Sabha Poll: 12-April 2014	Phase-5 Lok Sabha Poll: 17-April 2014	Phase-6 Lok Sabha Poll: 24-April 2014	Phase-7 Lok Sabha Poll: 30-April 2014	Phase-8 Lok Sabha Poll: 07-May 2014	Phase-9 Lok Sabha Poll: 12-May 2014
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Note: If you are having any problem to open it in Google-Chrome, then try it with any other browser like Firefox or Internet Explorer.

Source: NIC.in

2014 Lok Sabha Elections: Partners & Possibles in BJP’s Target 272+

Its eye on the prime minister’s chair for Narendra Modi, yet not certain of a majority of its own, the BJP has set about forging and looking for alliances, state by state, in its quest for 272 seats. A look at who are or could be with the BJP in nine of those states (counting Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as one), which together account for 255 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats:

Raj factor: Maharashtra<

The BJP has forged a five-party alliance, Mahayuti, with the Shiv Sena, the RPI, the Swabhimani Paksha and the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha. Additionally, to prevent a split in the anti-UPA vote, the BJP is trying to convince Raj Thackeray not to field MNS candidates.

In 2009, the BJP and the Shiv Sena won 20 of 48 seats between them while the Swabhimani Paksha, then not in the alliance, won one. The Congress-NCP alliance has 25 seats in a state where it is in power; the Mahayuti is hoping for anti-incumbency accumulated over three terms.

Naidu an option: Andhra Pradesh

N Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP made several overtures to the BJP in the run-up to the passage of the Telangana Bill. Since then, the TDP has gone quiet, apparently putting on the BJP the onus of taking the initiative for an alliance, or possibly preferring to wait until after the polls. With the TRS in Telangana rejecting a merger with Congress, the BJP senses a window of opportunity there too, but again only after the polls.

The BJP had won four of 42 seats in 1998 and seven in 1999, in alliance with the TDP. It has been routed since they parted ways in 2004.

Paswan Won Over: Bihar

The BJP-JD(U) alliance in 2009 won 32 of 40 seats, but the parting of ways made the BJP look vulnerable given the JD(U)’s base among the backward castes and Dalits — until the BJP forged alliances with Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP and Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP. The BJP will contest 30 seats, twice as many as in 2009, with the rest shared between the LJP (seven) and the RLSP (three).

Vaiko Done, DMK a teaser: Tamil Nadu

The BJP has sealed an alliance with Vaiko’s MDMK, is moving forward in talks with the PMK, and is waiting for a final word from the DMDK. The BJP is wary of initiating a dialogue on its own with the DMK given that the 2G scam is linked to the party, though DMK chief Karunanidhi has tempted the BJP by praising Narendra Modi.

In 1998, the BJP won three seats of 39 in alliance with the AIADMK, part of the most successful combination; in 1999 it bagged four in alliance with the DMK, the MDMK and the PMK.

BSY is Back: Karnataka

As the ruling party in the state, the BJP won 19 of 28 Lok Sabha seats in 2009 while the Congress bagged six and the JD(S) three. The exit of former chief minister B S Yedyyurappa cost the BJP in last year’s assembly elections, which returned the Congress to power. Now the BJP has got Yeddyurappa back; his fledgling KJP had bagged about 10 per cent of the votes in the assembly elections. The BJP state unit is rooting for merging in former minister B Sreeramulu’s BSR Congress, too; it got three per cent of the votes in the assembly elections.

Smaller Parties Targeted: Orissa

The BJP won seven of 21 seats in 1998 and nine in 1999, contesting in alliance with the BJD both times. However, they parted ways ahead of the 2009 and the BJP now has no seat in the state. With Naveen Patnaik having avoided an alliance since, the party is exploring a grand alliance with Soumya Ranjan Patnaik’s Aam Orissa party, Braja Kishore Tripathy’s Samata Kranti Party and Kharavela Swain’s Utkal Bharat Party. Talks with Pyari Mohan Mohapatra’s party have hit a roadblock with the state unit not keen on an alliance.

Divide over AGP: ASSAM

The AGP had contested in 2009 in alliance with the BJP, which won four of 14 seats. However, they parted ways during the assembly elections of 2011, leading to a miserable performance by both parties. The AGP has since shown an interest in a pre-poll alliance with the BJP. The BJP’s state unit is, however, divided. The BJP central leadership too is unsure how useful an ally the faction-ridden AGP will be; it is not in the mood to concede too many seats. The onus is on the AGP to forge an alliance with its share reduced since 2009.

Still with Akalis: Punjab

The BJP’s alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal is already in place and their coalition is in power in the state. The BJP will contest three seats and the SAD the remaining 10.

Deal with HJC: Haryana

The BJP has forged an alliance with the Haryana Janhit Congress led by Kuldeep Bishnoi, with the latter to contest two of 10 seats. O P Chuatala’s INLD, too, has been eyeing an understanding with the BJP. However, the conviction of Chautala and his struggle to get relief from court have come in the way of an alliance, with the HJC against one in any case.

Source: Indian Express

Delhi Election Tracker:BJP-AAP may Win 2-4 Seats Each-Congress 0-2

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha election may throw up surprising results in the national capital. According to CNN-IBN-Lokniti-CSDS election tracker both the AAP and BJP are expected to get 2-4 seats each in Delhi. The Congress is expected to get 0-2 seats according to the seat projection by Prof. Rajeeva Kharandikar, Director, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Chennai. The Congress seems to have slightly recovered from the devastating loss in Assembly elections in the last three months.

The Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP are likely to have a neck and neck fight in the 7 Lok Sabha seats of Delhi in the coming elections. According to the survey, the AAP vote share has come down by a huge 13 per cent when compared to our previous survey conducted in January. In January the AAP had got 48 per cent vote share and the BJP had 30 per cent while the Congress had got a mere 16 per cent vote share.

The popularity of the AAP seems to have taken a big hit in the last two months. The survey findings show that the BJP has gained 6 per cent votes and the Congress also has gained 6 per cent votes during the same period.

However, the AAP is still very much in the race. According to the latest survey, the BJP is ahead of the AAP by just 1 per cent with overall 36 per cent vote share. The AAP has got 35 per cent and the Congress has got 22 per cent vote share.

Sample size in February 2014 is 985 and the sample size in January 2014 was 951 in Delhi.

The AAP seems to have lost the support of first time voters in the age group of 18-25 years in a big way. Since January it has seen a 27 per cent decline. In the January survey it was 64 per cent and it has now come down to 37 per cent which is certainly a worrying factor for the AAP. It has also seen a steady decline of support among all other sections.

Among the Punjabi Khatris, the AAP seems to have lost 21 per cent votes in less than two months. It was 56 per cent in January. It has now come down to 35 per cent. It has also lost 19 per cent lower class, 18 per cent college educated, 16 per cent women, 16 per cent middle class and 15 per cent Muslim votes during the same period.

AAP still the most preferred choice for Delhi Assembly

The AAP has something to cheer about. Interestingly, it is still the most favoured choice of Delhiites, if the Assembly elections are once again held today. A whopping 46 per cent voters still back the AAP for the state Assembly. The BJP has got just 30 per cent and the Congress has got just 18 per cent votes for the Delhi assembly.

Arvind Kejriwal Resignation Wrong:

However, most people of the opinion that Arvind Kejriwal's decision to resign over Jan Lokpal Bill was wrong, particularly middle and upper classes feel that he should not have resigned over it. Overall 44 per cent respondents feel that it was a wrong decision and overall 33 per cent feel that it was a right decision to quit. A total of 46 per cent respondents among the upper middle class and 41 per cent respondents among the poor feel that the quitting was wrong.

The dissatisfaction with AAP government, although still low, goes up by three times since January. It was just 9 per cent in January and it has now gone up to 26 per cent. 70 per cent respondents are still happy with the performance of the 49 day AAP government. It was 74 per cent in January.

Satisfaction with Kejriwal's performance as CM has also declined since January. It is now 67 per cent when compared to 76 per cent in January. Now 18 per cent respondents are dissatisfied when compared to just 7 per cent in January.

However, most people of the opinion that corruption declined under the AAP government. Overall 47 per cent feel that the corruption has declined under the AAP. Just 6 per cent feel that it has increased under the AAP.

Modi beats Kejriwal in PM Race:

In the PM preference of Delhi voters, Narendra Modi has overtaken Arvind Kejriwal when compared to January. Now 37 per cent respondents back Modi for the post PM as against just 26 per cent back Kejriwal for the post of the PM. In January Kejriwal had got 34 per cent backing and Modi had got 32 per cent backing.

Rahul Gandhi has also improved his position. He has got 15 per cent backing when compared to just 8 per cent in January.

However, in a direct face off Kejriwal overtakes Modi with the backing of Congress voters. He gets over 50 per cent backing as against Modi's 39 per cent.

Majority of the people of the opinion that Kejriwal should not have sat on a dharna outside the Rail Bhawan; nearly three in 10 AAP supporters also think it was inappropriate. Overall 50 per cent feel that it was inappropriate and 43 per cent feel that it was right on his part to sit in a dharna.

Interestingly four out of 10 respondents had not heard about the AAP government's Law minister Somnath Bharti's Khirki Extension mid-night raid.

Most people agreed with the view that AAP is more interested in LS polls than working for Delhi. The survey reveals that 47 per cent people agree that it was more interested in Lok Sabha elections than working for the Delhi.

Interestingly the AAP seems to have managed to convince the people that Congress and BJP have a nexus. Most people (57 per cent) surveyed agree that BJP and Congress are hand in glove to prevent AAP from performing.

Eight out of 10 respondents support AAP's populist decisions related to power and water; support greatest among respondents from lower class. Overall 82 per cent support such decisions. Among the lower class it is 94 per cent.

Source: IBNLive

Maharashtra Poll Tracker:BJP-SS-RPI(A) 23-29 seats, Cong-NCP 16-22

New Delhi: The BJP-Shiv Sena-RPI (Athavale) alliance is expected to win 6-7 more seats than the ruling Congress-NCP combine in Maharashtra. According to CNN-IBN-Lokniti-CSDS election tracker, the BJP-Shiv Sena and RPI (A) alliance is projected to win 23-29 seats, if the Lok Sabha elections are held today. The ruling Congress-NCP combine is projected to get 16-22 seats according to the seat projections by Dr Rajeeva Kharandikar, Director, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Chennai Maharashtra has a total 48 Lok Sabha seats and others are expected to get 1-5 seats.

In India's second politically most important state, the BJP-Shiv Sena - RPI (Athavale) combine seems to have established a clear lead over the ruling Congress-NCP alliance. According to survey conducted in the third week of February, the BJP-SS-RPI (A) is expected to get 42 per cent votes. The Congress-NCP alliance is likely to get 36 per cent votes.

In the tracker survey conducted in January, the BJP-SS-RPI (A) combine had got 44 per cent votes and the Congress-NCP combine had got 35 per cent votes. In the latest survey the BJP-SS-RPI (A) combine has lost 2 per cent votes and the Congress-NCP alliance has gained 1 per cent votes.

The AAP has maintained its 5 per cent vote share even in the latest survey. The MNS has gained 2 per cent votes when compared to its just 2 per cent vote share in January. The others are projected to get 9 per cent votes.

In a party-wise estimate, the BJP's vote share has declined since the last survey. But, its oldest ally Shiv Sena's share has gone up. The Congress is doing better than the NCP.

In January survey, the BJP had got 36 per cent vote share. It has now come down to 29 per cent. The Shiv Sena had gone just 6 per cent in January. It has now gone up to 11 per cent. The RPI (A) has retained its 2 per cent projected vote share. The Congress has lost just 1 per cent vote share. It was 29 per cent in January. It has now come down by 1 per cent. During the same period the NCP has gained 2 per cent votes.

Undecided voters in July - 2013 was 27 per cent. It was 11 per cent in January this year. It now stands at 15 per cent.

PM choice - Modi still ahead, but loses 9 per cent

BJP's PM nominee Narendra Modi is still ahead of all others in the fray. But, his popularity has declined since January. In January Modi had the backing of 40 per cent respondents for the post of the PM. It has now come down to 31 per cent. Rahul Gandhi's popularity has gone up by 2 per cent (from 14 per cent to 16 per cent). Sonia Gandhi has also gained 2 per cent (from 4 per cent to 6 per cent).

Interestingly, Modi's popularity is highest in Marathwada (45 per cent) and North Maharashtra (44 per cent). The gap between Modi and Rahul Gandhi narrows in Vidarbha (27 per cent) and Western Maharashtra (24 per cent). Rahul Gandhi has got 12 per cent in Marathwada, 16 per cent in North Maharashtra, 23 per cent in Vidarbha and 17 per cent in Western Maharashtra.

According survey findings, the emphasis on the PM candidate is declining. Most respondents answer that their vote will be decided by candidates in their constituency. Overall 43 per cent feel that the local candidate is more important than all other considerations. 35 per cent feel that the party of the candidate matters most. Only 12 per cent feel that the PM candidate of a party matters more than all other things.

The Congress - NCP alliance also appears to be on a better footing among voters of the two parties compared to January survey. 50 per cent Congress voters and 54 per cent NCP voters support the continuation of alliance.

Most people are opposed to the idea of NCP-BJP alliance. However opposition to it is weaker in North Maharashtra and Marathwada regions. Over 50 per cent say no to NCP-BJP alliance.

MNS factor

Most voters still want the MNS led by Raj Thackeray to go it alone in the Lok Sabha polls. This sentiment is the strongest in Mumbai - Thane region, the stronghold of the MNS. Overall 39 per cent and 64 per cent MNS voters want the MNS to go solo. Among those who want MNS to tie up, most (59 per cent) want it to go with BJP-Shiv Sena - RPI (A) alliance. Just 11 per cent back its alliance with the Congress-NCP combine.

Interestingly, two thirds of the respondents have heard about MNS' toll booth agitation. 66 per cent respondents are aware of it. In North Maharashtra, it has got a very strong support.

Satisfaction with state government

Net satisfaction with the ruling Congress-NCP combine has improved, but it is still in the negative. When compared to January (38 per cent), the satisfaction level has gone up to 45 per cent now. However 50 per cent respondents are still not satisfied with the government. It was 48 per cent in January.

The dissatisfaction with Manmohan Singh as the PM has seen a decline. 50 per cent of the respondents are dissatisfied with him now, compared to 41 per cent in the last January. Only one in four respondents in Maharashtra want to give the UPA a third chance at the Centre. 57 per cent respondents feel that the UPA should not get another chance.

Lokniti-IBN Tracker Survey, February 2014
Maharashtra State Specific Findings
Fieldwork from Feb 17-23, 2014
Survey in 30 Lok Sabha seats
Targeted sample size - 1800
Achieved sample size - 1456
Seat Projections (Seats: 48)

Party/Front	Projected Seats
Congress+NCP	16-22
BJP+SS	23-29
Others	1-5

Note: Seat projections by Prof. Rajeeva Kharandikar, Director, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Chennai
Table 1: Projected vote share for Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra

Alliance/Party	2009 Actual	July 2013 Survey estimate	January 2014 Survey estimate	February 2014 Survey estimate
INC-NCP	39	43	35	36
BJP-SS-RPI (A)	35	36	44	42
AAP	-	-	5	5
BSP	5	8	4	4
MNS	4	5	2	4
Others	17	8	10	9

Source: IBNLive

Modi to address 'Hunkar' Rally in Bihar's Muzaffarpur Today

With an aim to grab the maximum share of 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state, BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will address his 'Hunkar rally' in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar on Monday.

The rally assumes significance as Modi will share dais with Lok Janshakti Party supremo Ram Vilas Paswan who returned to the NDA fold after a long gap of 12 years. Ram Vilas's son Chirag Paswan will also be present at the rally.

Watch Live Modi 'Hunkar' Rally in Bihar's Muzaffarpur

Paswan's LJP sealed a pre-poll alliance with the BJP after he was offered seven Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.

Modi's previous 'Hunkar Rally' at Patna in October last year was rocked by serial blasts within the venue of the gathering, in which eight people were killed.

The incident had triggered a war of words between the BJP and former NDA ally Janata Dal (United) which is currently ruling the state. BJP's senior leadership had accused Bihar CM Nitish Kumar of not providing enough security for Modi's rally.

Sharad Yadav-led JD(U) parted ways with the BJP after being together in the NDA for 17 years.

Source: IndiaToday