BJP will make big gains in east & south India: Shah

New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that his party was moving closer to its '400 paar' mission and explained about the support the BJP getting from various states and regions in achieving its target.

Amit Shah, in an interview to a news channel on Wednesday, said the BJP was slated for big gains in east and south India, traditionally its 'weaker' areas, besides recording thumping victory in its stronghold regions of north and west. The Home Minister said the party is expecting big gains in eastern states including Odisha and West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the south.Breaking it down into numbers, Shah said the party was expecting a much bigger victory in West Bengal, as compared to 2019 by fetching 24-30 out of a total of 42 seats.

"In Odisha, our target is to bag 17 (out of 21 LS seats) and 75 (out of 147 Assembly seats). In Telangana, we will win around 10 seats (out of 17 LS seats). In Andhra Pradesh, the BJP-led alliance will form the government, and we will also win a big chunk of Lok Sabha seats there too," Shah said. He also said that the party will emerge as the single largest in at least four Eastern states. "In the eastern zone, Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, we will emerge as the biggest party. This is certain. And in the five states of South, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, we will make significant gains," he added.

Notably, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are also voting to elect their Assemblies. In Odisha, CM Naveen Patnaik-led government is seeking a fresh term while in Andhra Pradesh, the BJP-TDP alliance is eyeing to oust the ruling YSR Congress. Amit Shah's big poll prediction ahead of the seventh and final phase of polls has given fresh vigour to the election mood.