Post-poll survey: Some regional parties gain, some routed

New Delhi: Except a few regional parties, most parties have been showing a consistent performance in the Lok Sabha elections since 2004. Some regional parties have improved their performance in the last 10 years and some have seen a decline.

The biggest gainer in the last 10 years is West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress. It was decimated in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections and had managed to win just 2 seats.

The AIADMK was decimated in 2004 and did not win even a single Lok Sabha seat. In 2009 Lok Sabha election, the TMC won 19 Lok Sabha seats and became the single largest ally of the Congress at the Centre. The AIADMK also improved its strength by winning 9 Lok Sabha seats.

In this election, both the TMC and AIADMK are projected to sweep their respective states by winning 25-31 and 22-28 seats respectively.

But the Samajwadi Party (SP) has seen a decline in the last 10 years. It won a record 36 seats in 2004 and managed to win just 23 seats in the 2009 election. This time, the SP is projected to win 13-17 seats.

Mayawati-led BSP has managed to maintain its strength over the years. In 2004, it won 19 seats and slightly improved its performance in 2009 by winning 21 seats. This time the BSP is projected to win 10-14 Lok Sabha seats.

The BJD led by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik did well in 2004 and 2009 by winning 11 and 14 seats respectively. This time too, the BJD is projected to win 12-16 seats.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was decimated in both 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha polls. This time, it is projected to win 12-16 Lok Sabha seats in a neck and neck fight with YSR Congress Party of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The Shiv Sena has also been able to maintain its strength in the last two Lok Sabha polls. A big gainer is Lalu Prasad-led RJD. The RJD won 24 Lok Sabha seats in 2004 and was reduced to just 4 seats in 2009. This time, the party is showing signs of some recovery. It may win 8-12 seats.

But the biggest loser could be JDU. It won 8 seats in 2004 and jumped to 20 seats in 2009. This time, it is projected to win just 2-4 seats.

The TRS has also seen ups and downs. It won 5 Lok Sabha seats in 2004 and was reduced to just 2 seats in 2009. This time, it may win 8-12 Lok Sabha seats.