New Delhi: All major states in the Eastern India and two states in Northeastern part of India are being ruled by regional parties. Political alliances take a new shape every time there is an election, be it Assembly or Parliament.
Among all states in the East and Northeast, West Bengal has the highest number of 42 Lok Sabha Seats followed by Bihar with 40 seats.
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has already floated the idea of a Federal Front to counter the Third Front led by her arch rivals the communist parties.
Mamata is backed by anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare and claims that many other non-Congress, non-BJP leaning parties are backing her.
Here's a look at alliance scenario in these two regions:
West Bengal
In 2009, the TMC-Congress combine decimated the Left in West Bengal. After TMC victory in 2011 Assembly elections, they started drifting away. Mamata Banerjee has indicated that she is in no mood to tie up with the Congress or the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls. She wants to go solo and decide once the results are out.
The possibility of the Congress and the Left coming together is also looking bleak after the Left has once again floated the idea of Third Front. Most probably, TMC, Left, Congress and BJP are likely to go solo in this election.
According to poll pundits the situation favours the TMC. The Left may suffer a huge setback. Without an alliance, the Congress may win 3-4 seats. The BJP won Darjeeling last time after the Gurkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) backed its candidate Jaswant Singh. Will he seek a re-election from the same seat this time? According to reports, Jaswant Singh wants to return to his homestate of Rajasthan.
Possible alliances - Lok Sabha 2014
No alliance is expected.
Bihar
Bihar with 40 Lok Sabha seats is a politically volatile state. Poll surveys are predicting a big BJP wave in the state. It is expected to win maximum seats here and has already into alliance with Rashtriya Lok Samata Party of Upendra Kushwaha, who enjoys some support among the Koeri community in the state. The ruling JDU may face a tough challenge. JDU has already joined the Third Front. Lalu Yadav-led RJD and the Congress are likely to come together this time. But the big question is which alliance Ram Vilas Paswan led LJP will join? He was in talks with the RJD-Congress combine but not is moving closer to the BJP.
Possible Alliances - Lok Sabha 2014
BJP-Rashtriya Lok Samata Party. LJP may also join the alliance.
RJD-Congress alliance possible
JDU-CPI-CPIM alliance
Jharkhand
Politically the most volatile state in the region has 14 Lok Sabha seats. The JMM-Congress-RJD combine is in power. Most probably they are likely to fight together in the Lok Sabha too. The BJP looks stronger here while Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) led by former CM Babulal Marandi is a third player here.
Possible Alliances - Lok Sabha 2014
BJP- No alliance.
JMM-Congress-RJD alliance possible, but the state does not always follow the Bihar example. Ties between all the three partners are strained and the Congress is watching developments in Bihar before taking the final call.
JVM-P may have tie ups with some local parties in a few seats.
Odisha
Odisha has been ruled by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) since 1999. The BJD chief and CM Naveen Patnaik had an alliance with the BJP till 2009. He is unlikely to forge an alliance with anybody. The main opposition Congress will also fight on its own. The third player the BJP is left with no other option, but to fight alone.
Possible Alliances - Lok Sabha 2014
Assam
The largest state in the Northeast has 14 Lok Sabha seats. The Congress has been in power since 2001. Earlier it had an alliance with All India United Democratic Front (AUDF). The main opposition Assam Gana Parishad (AGP) had an alliance with the BJP.
Sikkim has just one Lok Sabha seat and it has been with the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) since 1996. Mizoram also has just one Lok Sabha seat. It is currently held by the ruling Congress. Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura have two Lok Sabha seats each. Except, Tripura and Nagaland, the Congress is in power in all other states.
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