BJP under pressure from allies

After experiencing the might of united opposition in one by poll after another and the formation of JD(S)-Congress coalition govt. in Karnataka with HD Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister, BJP has gone all out to reach to its allies. If the electoral arithmetic is to be believed, a united opposition will certainly give the BJP a tough challenge in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Bihar is going to be the most problematic state for BJP from the point of view of seat adjustments with its allies in Lok Sabha elections. JD(U) had fought with BJP in 2009 and it had contested on 25 seats and BJP on 15 Lok Sabha seats. In 2014, JD(U) was not with BJP. BJP had fought on 30 seats and won 22 in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. In the coming Lok Sabha elections in 2019, JD (U) has also again become the part of NDA. Other than JD (U), BJP along with LJP of Ramvilash Paswan and RLSP of Upendra Kushawaha is in NDA. JD(U) is the largest constituent of NDA and its leader Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is its face in Bihar. JD(U) itself says that it is the big brother of BJP in Bihar. Most of the senior BJP leaders in Bihar appear to have accepted that JD (U) is their big brother. In the given political scenario in the state, seat sharing formula for the Lok Sabha elections among BJP, JD(U), LJP and RLSP is going to be very tough. JD(U) claims the lion's share of not fewer than it had fought in 2009 with the BJP while LJP is not ready to accept less than the 7 Lok Sabha seats and RLSP had fought on 3 seats in 2014 and won all. It had hundred per cent strike rate. So, question of fewer than 3 seats doesn't arise as far as its claim is concerned. All the allies of BJP have understood that it cannot win on its own in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. It has to be dependent on them as it is not 2014. There has been sharp decline in BJP's popularity among the people. Four years of Modi govt. has not shown any notable development in any field in the country. The people have come to know that it also only believes in tall talking. That is why BJP has come under the pressure of allies like JD (U) in Bihar and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. Under its outreach programme, BJP President Amit Shah is meeting celebrities, luminaries and political leaders for support in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He is meeting today famous Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit and Shiv Sena boss Udhav Thackeray. But Shiv Sena has already reiterated its posture of going alone in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Shiv Sena is the oldest ally of BJP and it has also been its natural ally. BJP President is going to Matoshree to meet Udhav but no change of mind is expected towards him. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu has already gone out of NDA due to its difference with BJP. So, the party has come under severe pressure from all sides. It appears that BJP too realizes that much water has flown down the Ganges. It is not 2014 and LJP has rightly said that BJP cannot win 2019 Lok Sabha elections on its own.