The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is likely to secure majority with 282 seats while Congress and its allies, are likely to improve their performance with 165 seats in the coming Lok Sabha polls, according to an opinion poll conducted by market research agency ORG-MARG for Aaj-Tak TV news channel 'India Today' magazine and 'Dainik Bhaskar' newspaper.

Elections 2004-The Drama unfolds...
Political Parties in India

The survey, which covered a sample of 51,000 people across the country in the last week of March and first week of April, predicted a clean sweep by the saffron party in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat but gave an emphatic win for Congress-NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) alliance in Maharashtra with 28 of the 48 seats leaving 18 for BJP-Shiv Sena alliance.

In the crucial State of Uttar Pradesh, where there are a total of 80 seats, BJP was expected to top the list with 35 seats followed by SP (Samajwadi Party)-RLD (Rashtriya Lok Dal)-25 and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)-11 said the poll.

The Congress was unlikely to register major gains in UP despite the entry of Rahul Gandhi and likely to win just eight seats just behind Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party with 11 seats, it said.

The RJD-LJP (Lok Janshakti Party)-Congress combine was expected to capture 14 seats in Bihar while the NDA will be getting 25 seats according to the poll. There are 40 seats in the State.