Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was likely to emerge as the largest party in Odisha and West Bengal. He said it was estimated that the BJP could win 18 out of 21 seats in Odisha and 30-35 of 40 seats in West Bengal. In the last elections, the saffron party had won 8 in Odisha and 18 in Bengal.
"The NDA is going to get more than 400 seats. I have contested elections in Mumbai. The 6 seats of Mumbai will go to the BJP and our ally Shiv Sena, our Mahayuti," the minister said. The BJP has allied with Ajit Pawar's NCP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, which has 48 Lok Sabha seats.
Goyal also said that it was almost certain that the saffron party would emerge as the largest party in Southern India. "In Odisha, it is estimated that BJP can win 18 out of 21 seats and 30-35 seats in West Bengal," he added.
The minister's statement comes just a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that West Bengal will be the best-performing state for the BJP in the country.
Earlier this month, political strategist Prashant Kishor said the saffron party may emerge as the largest party in Bengal, Telangana, and Odisha. He said the fight in Telangana will be between the saffron party and Congress. Kishor said both parties can win 6-9 seats.
Home Minister Amit Shah, the master strategist for the BJP, said the saffron party will take a significant lead in West Bengal. "We may win between 24 and 30 seats in Bengal. In Odisha, our target is 17 Lok Sabha seats (out of 21) and 75 Assembly seats (out of 147)," he said.
In Telangana, he said, the BJP will win around 10 of 17 seats. "As for Andhra Pradesh, our alliance government is going to form the government and NDA will win a big chunk of Lok Sabha seats too."
The BJP has allied with Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP).