Riding high on the Narendra Modi wave, the formidable BJP-JD(U) alliance is likely to secure a comprehensive victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections in Bihar. According to the India Today-My Axis India Exit Poll, the BJP-JD(U)-LJP alliance is set to win minimum 38 out of the 40 seats, while the RJD-Congress led 'Mahagathbandhan' may only bag maximum 2 seats.

The ruling BJP-Janata Dal(United) alliance was in direct fight against RJD-Congress led Grand Alliance. Under the seat-sharing formula, the BJP and the JD(U) were contesting on 17 seats each and the LJP on six seats.

Meanwhile, the grand alliance, which includes five-parties, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM Secular, and Mukesh Sahni's VIP, continued their dismal performance in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The state has 40 seats in the lower house of parliament of which six are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs). It is divided into five regions namely, West Bihar, East Bihar, North Bihar, South Bihar and Central Bihar.

According to the announcement made by the NDA alliance, the BJP contested from Paschim Champaran (Bettiah), Purvi Champaran (Motihari), Muzaffarpur, Saran, Maharjaganj, Sheohar, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Ujiarpur, Begusarai, Patna Sahib, Patliputra, Ara, Buxar, Sasaram, Aurangabad and Araria.

The JD(U) fielded candidates from Valmikinagar, Siwan, Gopalganj, Jehanbad, Gaya, Karakat, Madhepura, Supaul, Jhanjharpur, Sitamarhi, Purnea, Kishanganj, Banka, Bhagalpur, Munger, Nalanda and Katihar.

Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP contested the Lok Sabha seats of Hajipur, Samastipur, Jamui, Nawada, Khagaria and Vaishali.

During the 2014 Lok Sabha General Elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) had won 31 Lok Sabha seats, RJD-Congress-NCP grabbed seven and Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (U) was restricted to two seats.

The general election in Bihar held in seven phases, between April 11 and May 19. The state went to election on April 18, April 23, April 29 and on May 6, May 12 and May 19.

In the state of Jharkhand, which came into existence as a separate state after carving out of Bihar in 2000, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to win maximum number of seats. The India Today Axis has predicted almost a clean sweep of 12 to 14 seats for BJP with around 0 to 2 for Congress.

In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 12 seats from the state giving two seats to Shibu Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).

Edited by Chitranjan Kumar