The BJP has hired two external poll consultancy agencies — one from Chennai and another from Delhi — to conduct a survey of all Lok Sabha constituencies in the country. It will go into seat sharing with allies after the reports come.

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) member and Hindustani Awam Morcha Secular (HAMS) founder leader and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi spilled the beans about the survey being conducted by private agencies.

“The BJP is getting a survey of Lok Sabha seats done by external agencies to assess the strength of partners and probable candidates. It will decide on seat-sharing with allies on its basis,” Manjhi said.

However, senior BJP leaders downplayed the survey as a regular process for the general elections but refused to reveal further details about it.

They told this newspaper that the party will not only wait for the survey report but also for the results of the upcoming Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram, before delving into seat sharing.

“Our central leadership will take appropriate decisions at appropriate time with regard to seat sharing with allies for the Lok Sabha elections. Our party’s surveys and organisational work goes on throughout the year across the country,” senior BJP leader and spokesperson Ram Sagar Singh told The Telegraph.

Another BJP leader said that the external poll consultancy agencies were hired around May this year and have been quietly working on the task given to them. Similar surveys by private firms were conducted prior to the 2014 and 2019 general elections as well.

“Such surveys by private agencies are requisitioned to validate the internal surveys and reports submitted by our state and organisational leaders to the central leadership. More than one private agency are hired to crosscheck the findings and reduce the chance of errors or vested influences. Normally they are asked to do their work discreetly and in a guarded manner,” the BJP leader said.

Apart from SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and threat) analysis for the party in the Lok Sabha constituencies, the external agencies have been also asked to assess the suitability of probable candidates, their background, and the reactions of voters towards them.

“The survey is not limited only to the BJP. It is also examining the performances of other parties — allies and opposition — on the seats, their possible candidates and their strengths,” a BJP leader shared.

The private poll agencies are expected to submit their reports to the central leadership in November.

However, the BJP does not rely only on the reports from its organisation and private agencies. Its leaders in power at the Centre also get to know the poll assessments done by the government’s intelligence agencies.