Tough Fight, No Sweep, Victory At A Cost: NDTV Scans Battleground

New Delhi: 

The public is tough to read this time and while the BJP will get majority, one can expect the unexpected: This is what a group of experts at NDTV concluded as the massive celebration of democracy in the country draws to a close. There will be tough fights, some in the BJP bastions of the north and the ruling party will gain from non-BJP states, including Telangana, Odisha and Bengal, the experts said. As for the 370-seat target, it could represent the ideal, said one of the experts at NDTV Battleground, anchored by Editor-in-chief Sanjay Pugalia.

The 2024 election has bucked the trend of the last 10 years, in the sense of an absence of any wave or public anger, the experts agreed. What has hit the country instead is a sense of discontent, which, the Opposition has failed to capitalise on.

“Voting is an emotional decision, there’s discontent. Last time BJP got 40% votes but converting discontent to anger is important. There was one-sided election in Dec 2023 polls. Wave is seen after election. It’s not easy to understand the psyche of the voter,” said political strategist Amitabh Tiwari.

Political expert Neerja Chowdhury said the election has been “complex” and “difficult to decode”.