Pacts, switches on anvil as BJP eyes 400-mark

To win 370 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats on its own and 400 with allies, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is looking to include more political parties in the National Democratic Alliance and bring on board leaders from other outfits to increase its tally and convert votes into seats.

- Smriti Kak

The BJP has set its sights on winning 206 seats it did not win in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and has begun an aggressive campaign. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday exhorted the party cadre to intensify outreach in the next 100 days to meet the target. It won 272 and 303 seats, respectively, in the previous two general elections.

Negotiations are underway with leaders of several parties, including regional satraps keen to switch sides in the run-up to the elections, said a party leader, who is also a member of its joining committee. Depending on the outcome of the parleys on tickets or positions in the party, these leaders are expected to join in the next two weeks before the election schedule is announced, the leader said, declining to be named.