RSS chief ‘to attend Modi’s swearing-in’

NAGPUR: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat is confident of BJP forming government at the Centre on its own and, according to sources, has decided to go to New Delhi to attend the swearing-in of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sources in the RSS said that some Sangh leaders had met Bhagwat for inviting him to a function on Saturday, but he refused saying he had to go to for the swearing in. Bhagwat told the leaders that according to information received by him from RSS workers, BJP would win over 272 seats in the country and NDA would easily cross the mark of 300.

He claimed this even before the exit polls were announced on Sunday evening.
Taking time out from his otherwise busy schedule, Bhagwat on Saturday night watched PM Narendra Modi, the biopic on Modi, for which actor-turned-BJP leader Vivek Oberoi, who played the lead role in the film, had arrived in the city.
According to Bhagwat, BJP and its ally Shiv Sena would win between 36 and 38 seats out of the total 48 in Maharashtra. Last time, the combine had won 42 seats. Most exit polls have predicted that the saffron combine would win more seats than Congress and NCP combined together.
According to Bhagwat, BJP would win between 60 to 62 seats in Uttar Pradesh. The saffron party and its allies had won 72 out of 80 seats last time. Most exit polls have predicted a poor performance for the party in that state. The SP-BSP combine is expected to win more seats than BJP.
The RSS chief said that BJP would win at least 15 seats in West Bengal. Five years ago, the party had won just two seats in the state having total 42 parliamentary constituencies.
Even though many pollsters have predicted DMK win in Tamil Nadu following death of AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa, Bhagwat said the latter would win 12 seats while the BJP itself would win 3 to 4 seats in the southern state.
According to Bhagwat’s information, the BJP would sweep Karnataka by winning 22 out of 28 seats. The saffron party had won 17 seats last time. In the assembly elections held in 2018, BJP was the single largest party but failed to form government as Congress decided to support JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswami for the post of chief minister.
The RSS chief sees BJP opening account in Kerala, where it drew a blank in 2014. He told the RSS leaders that BJP would win two seats.
(UPDATE: An earlier version of this story said that swearing-in ceremony will take place on May 25. However, sources have told TOI that no date has been fixed for the swearing-in ceremony. )