A supporter holds up a cut-out of a lotus, the election symbol of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata party, BJP ReutersA total of 2,478 people were polled in Uttar PradeshIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party could be crushed by an opposition alliance in the country’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh in a general election, which is due by May, according to an opinion poll released on Wednesday. A recently formed alliance between three regional parties in the state could win 58 seats without Congress joining it, the poll showed. Uttar Pradesh sends 80 lawmakers to the lower house of parliament, the most for any state in India. A total of 2,478 people were polled in Uttar Pradesh, which has a population of about 220 million, for the survey. Congress, meanwhile, appointed its President Rahul Gandhi's charismatic younger sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, to a senior party position that party officials say will help to energise its campaign.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 23, 2019 15:45 UTC