National Approval Ratings: After BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, NDA is predicted to make a clean sweep in Maharashtra, UPA falls far behind

With the dates for the all-important Lok Sabha polls now announced, the various political parties and the citizens of India have complete clarity on exactly when the country will once again undertake the largest exercise in democracy anywhere in the world.

To present a snapshot projection of where the various parties stand at the moment in different states, Republic TV and CVoter have published the National Approval Ratings which present a complete picture of what would happen if elections are held today.

In a relief to the current NDA government in Maharashtra is projected to retain its position, sprinting ahead of their political competitors, the Congress-led UPA. 

As far as the vote-share is concerned UPA is projected to secure 40.5%, that is an approximate difference of 6% with NDA, who is projected to lead and secure 46.5%, while Others is the state will secure 13%

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Whereas, in terms of seat-share, BJP-led NDA is predicted to secure 35 out of the 48 seats, leaving 12 for UPA. 

Here's the projection for Maharashtra:

Vote Share

UPA- 40.5
NDA- 46.5
Others- 13

Seat-share

UPA- 13
NDA- 35

This victory of NDA comes after BJP formed an alliance with Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, who is a significant player in Maharashtra. 

The two parties had been at loggerheads over a number of issues, and it had seemed that they would go solo, both in state and at the Centre. But they will fight in an equal number of seats when it comes to the state elections. As for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the BJP will contest from 25 seats and Shiv Sena will contest from 23 seats.

The BJP - Shiv Sena combine is projected to get 35 seats alongside a vote share 46.5%, with the BJP project to win 21 seats and Shiv Sena 14.

The months preceding the latest National Approval Ratings have witnessed a number of massive developments that may have a big impact on the on-ground sentiment as the phase-wise voting approaches. 

A parallel CVoter survey has already indicated that citizens' satisfaction with the performance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been on an upswing since the Feb 1 budget where a number of significant announcements were made - especially for farmers and for middle-class taxpayers. This satisfaction index the skyrocketed following India's air-strike against Pakistani terror bases across the LoC. Simultaneously, the satisfaction index of Congress president Rahul Gandhi has spiraled downward in the same time-frame.

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