Uttar Pradesh Elections 2017: BJP could win more seats than SP-Congress combine, feel bookies

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to have improved its chances of coming to power in Uttar Pradesh in the eyes of bookies. The Amit Shah-led party's prospects have gone up after its impressive performance in the municipal corporation elections in Mumbai and other cities of Maharashtra.

If bookies are to be believed, the BJP could end up with 161 seats in the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly, while the Samajwadi Party-Congress could win 150 seats, according to a report in the India Today.

Citing bookie dynamics, the report said that the going rate for the BJP winning 161 seats is 1:1, which means a person staking his bet (for BJP getting 161 seats) would get double the money if the results end up that way. Earlier, bookies were expecting the party to win not more than 160 seats, the report added.

Voting in 49 seats in seven districts will take place on Saturday, March 4, in Uttar Pradesh, marking the penultimate round of seven-phase polls. The seven districts are Maharajganj, Kushi Nagar, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Azamgarh, Mau and Ballia.

Polling in PM Narendra Modi's Varanasi constituency will be held on March 8, as part of the last phase for 40 Assembly constituencies. The seven districts covering the March 8 polling comprise Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Sonbhadra and Jaunpur.

Manipur also goes to polls on Saturday, the first phase of the two-stage polling process.

Counting for elections held in all the five states — Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh — will be held on March 11. The second half of Budget Session of Parliament convenes on March 9 to debate and pass the Finance Bill and other crucial legislations, including those relating to Goods and Services Tax (GST).

The stakes are high for the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), since Uttar Pradesh sends 31 members to the Rajya Sabha where the BJP-led NDA is currently in a minority.

The total strength of the Rajya Sabha is 245 members; the BJP has 56 members and rival Congress, 59 seats.