How many seats will BJP win? Top economist Surjit Bhalla gives his prediction for the 2024 Lok Sabha election

Surjit Bhalla, a prominent economist and political analyst, suggested that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may exceed its performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the current 2024 elections.

During an interview with NDTV, Bhalla indicated that the BJP could potentially secure between 330 to 350 seats in the ongoing general elections, based on statistical analysis. He emphasized that this projection pertained solely to the BJP and did not include its coalition partners. Bhalla anticipated a five to seven percent increase in seats for the BJP compared to the 2019 elections.

Regarding the opposition’s performance, Bhalla forecasted that the Congress might secure around 44 seats, a decrease of two percent from its 2014 election tally. He attributed the challenges facing the opposition alliance to issues related to leadership and the prevailing economic conditions, both of which he believed favored the BJP.

Bhalla also speculated on the BJP’s potential success in southern states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala, suggesting that the party could secure several seats in these traditionally weak areas.

Separately, In an interview with the Asianet News Network, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence in the BJP’s prospects in the south, anticipating an increase in both vote share and seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections compared to previous polls. He cited examples such as Telangana, where the BJP’s vote share had doubled, as indicators of the party’s growing influence in the region.