Lok Sabha polls: At least 45 per cent seats to see multi-cornered contest

The Congress was not part of the opposition alliance, and it proved to be a marginal player in UP five years back, securing a meagre 6.3 per cent of votes

Close to half of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats are bracing for multi-cornered fight this time, making the contest way more interesting and intense than it was in the 2019 elections.

And, interestingly, this multi-cornered contest on over 45 per cent seats is happening despite the absence of a credible “third front”, and the two principal rival alliances, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), together comprising 80 of the country’s leading political parties.

For example, in 2019, key states, such as Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh had bipolar contests, which could