The BJP will win over 300 seats alone, the bookies predict. (File)
Bookies in Delhi have predicted a thumping victory for the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, but put them well below the 370-seat target the ruling party had set.
The BJP will win over 300 seats alone, the bookies predict. A party or an alliance of parties needs to win at least 272 in the 543-seat Lok Sabha to form government at the centre.
Exit polls yesterday predicted an easy win for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, with an aggregate of 12 such polls positioning the ruling alliance at 365 seats. Such predictions, however, do not always get it right.
The bookies put the BJP's figures between 303 and 306 seats. This means those who bet on 303 seats will book a profit if the BJP wins less than that. Whoever bets on 306 seats will win if the BJP gets more than that.
Betting on election results is illegal in India, but shadow betting platforms flourish nationwide and even traders in the share market turn to such platforms for cues.
The bookies have predicted a BJP sweep in heartland states and a debut in Tamil Nadu.
The BJP will win 25-26 seats in Gujarat, 64-66 in Uttar Pradesh, 27-29 in Madhya Pradesh, 19-21 in Rajasthan, 10-11 in Chhattisgarh, 13-15 in Bihar, 10-11 in Jharkhand, 5-6 in Haryana, four in Himachal, and five in Uttarakhand, they expect.
In Delhi, the BJP will win all seven seats, according to the bookies. They will also open their account in Tamil Nadu for the first time with three Lok Sabha seats, they projected, suggesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's relentless south push will bring good news for the saffron party.
In Odisha, where Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal holds power, the BJP has been projected to win 14-15 out of 21 seats. In Punjab, the bookies expect them to win two out of 13 seats, and 7-8 in Telangana.
In West Bengal, they may better their 2019 performance and win 19-21 seats out of 42 seats and in Maharashtra, the bookies project they will win 18-20 out of 48 seats.