BJP's gap with mandate broadens; Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan keeps hope of Naidu and Nitish being kingmaker

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 4 (ANI): As the BJP-led alliance falls short of its expected tally in the Lok Sabha elections, all eyes are on TDP's Chandrababu Naidu and JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar. Both leaders at some point in time have allied with the Congress and the Congress is keeping its hopes alive that they may still consider an offer from the INDIA bloc.

While speaking to ANI, Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan said, "There will be a meeting of the INDIA alliance tomorrow. These options cannot be ruled out. Whether the INDIA alliance decides to make a pitch to Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar depends on the leaders when they meet tomorrow. This is not impossible or unthinkable, such things have happened before."

Further questioning the BJP for not getting a clear mandate Chavan said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should accept this as a moral defeat.

"As BJP, the single largest party will be getting a call from the president to form a government but who will be their leader, whether Narendra Modi accepts this as his moral defeat and keeps himself away from power and BJP will bring some other leader on the forefront."

The NDA alliance, which includes the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Janta Dal (United), are leading in Bihar, according to the latest trends issued by the Election Commission of India. Janata Dal (United) is ahead on 14 seats in Bihar, while Bharatiya Janata Party is leading on 11 seats, as per Election Commission of India.\

In the Lok Sabha polls, TDP is leading on 16 seats, YSRCP on 4 seats, BJP on 3 and JNP on 2 seats, the poll body said.

The Andhra Pradesh Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are witnessing a triangular contest between the ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), the Congress-led INDIA coalition, and the BJP-led NDA alliance, comprising Chandrababu Naidu's TDP and the Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Party (JSP). (ANI)