National Approval Ratings: With 40 crucial seats up for grabs in Bihar, NDA projected to acquire 31 whereas UPA to settle with 9 seats

With the Lok Sabha elections 2019 inching closer, Republic TV and CVoter have presented the National Approval Ratings to give complete national picture as to who will win if polls are held in September 2018. In Bihar, there are 40 crucial seats up for grabs and the way it is looking right now, with the present alliances neither side is changing the game too much. 

• NDA is set to get 31 seats, like it did in 2014
• UPA is set to get 9 seats, 2 more than it got in 2014

• Despite gaining Nitish Kumar in it's fold, the NDAs projection remains status quo with it's 2014 tally given the fact that its 31 seats is not moving despite Nitish Kumar’s addition
• However, the BJPs individually tally from the 22 seats in 2014 has declined to a 16 seat projection in October 2018, which means that Sushil Kumar Modi’s own popularity in the state has seen a significant decline

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:  At the same time, while Nitish Kumar suffered heavily after storming out of the NDA in 2014 and putting on the board just 2 seats in 2014, the JDU+RLSP+LJP combine is set to get 15 seats. This not only makes Nitish Kumar the crucial factor to keep the NDA afloat but also, emboldens the Bihar Chief Minister to be an equal bargainer for seats given that the JDU+RLSP+LJP itself is bringing 15 seats where the BJP itself is pulling 16

• Coming to the UPA story, while the RJDs seat share set to increase from 4 to 8, Rahul gandhi’s own popularity is projected to decline by 1 seat. Taking the INC tally of 2 in 2014 to just 1.  Which means that dynast Tejaswi has been able to improve his performance, dynast Rahul has failed
• Historically, the Congress has recorded its worst ever performance in Bihar

Read: National Approval Ratings LIVE | BJP or Congress: Who will win if elections are held today?

2018 has been a blockbuster year so far as far as the political landscape of India is concerned. While BJP managed to form government in 3 states this year, either in alliance or on its own, gaining a massive lead over the Opposition, the Congress, by forming government in Karnataka by tying up with the JDS, saved itself from being out of power in all large states, save for Punjab. Out of 4 states, which went to polls this year, BJP has its government on its own in Tripura and with alliance partners in two states, namely, Meghalaya (with National People’s Party), Nagaland (with Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party), whereas the Congress managed to form government in Karnataka with JDS as its alliance partner.

The results of 2019 Lok Sabha elections may or may not reflect the results or scenarios of the state assembly elections, nevertheless, to establish where we stand at present, Republic TV and CVoter has presented the National Approval Ratings.