State of alliances: No sign of that Mahagathbandhan

India is not just the world's biggest democracy, its elections are also the most gruelling — with nearly six weeks between the first round of voting on April 11 and the last. The opposition is in a permanent state of daggers drawn, and if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to win another five-year mandate, he will either have to beat opponents or tempt them into an alliance. Here is where the promised Mahagathbandhan stands in the states, with the key players to watch as the 2019 campaign battle starts:

Uttar Pradesh: BSP chief Mayawati and the SP along with Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal have finalised an alliance, leaving the Congress in cold. They have left Rae Bareli and Amethi for Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav wanted the Congress to accommodate their parties in states outside Uttar Pradesh, but the Congress refused to accommodate them in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh.

Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Pradesh, which has 29 Lok Sabha seats, will witness a two-pronged contest between the Congress and the BJP. The Congress had won the 2018 Assembly elections with a wafer-thin margin, even as the BJP's vote share was slightly better than the Congress.

Maharashtra: BJP has ensured that the Shiv Sena, which was threatening to call off their alliance has now come onboard. While the Congress and NCP have formed a coalition, they are also trying to rope in Prakash Ambedkar, who heads the Bharatiya Republican Paksha-Bahujan Mahasangh. Meanwhile, NCP and MNS are also looking at an understanding wherein the latter will support the opposition alliance in lieu of one Lok Sabha seat.

Odisha: Odisha, where Assembly elections will be held simultaneously, will witness a three-horse race between BJP, BJD and the Congress. CM Naveen Patnaik, who is seeking a fifth term, is facing strong incumbency. Odisha, however, features prominently in BJP's scheme of things. While Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has emerged as a credible alternative to Patnaik, Baijayant Panda's joining will certainly give an edge to the saffron party.

Bihar: In Bihar, the ruling NDA looks forward to retain the 29 seats it holds between the BJP (21), Lok Janshakti Party (6) and JD-U (2). It has already finalised a seat-sharing formula of 17-6-17 seats respectively and is banking on the "good governance image" of CM Nitish Kumar as well as the forward caste votes to swing in its favour after the implementation of the 10 per cent quota for the economically backward general class. The Opposition Mahagathbandhan on the other hand, is yet to finalise its seat sharing division among Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S), Sharad Yadav's Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) and Vikas-sheel Insan Party (VIP).

Jharkhand: Jharkhand, which has 14 Lok Sabha constituencies, will also witness a two-pronged contest between BJP and Congress-led alliance. Recently, the BJP has sealed an alliance with All Jharkhand Student's Union (AJSU) for the Lok Sabha elections. Similarly, Congress, JMM and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) struck a seat-sharing deal.

Chhattisgarh: With 11 Lok Sabha constituencies, it will see a tough fight between the Congress and the BJP. In the 2018 Assembly elections, the BJP lost the state to Congress after senior party leader Raman Singh ruled the state uninterrupted for over a decade. From Maoist insurgency to farmers' plight to unemployment to corruption, the state has a galaxy of poll issues.

Gujarat: Both the Congress and BJP are likely to go it alone in the upcoming polls. Congress, which failed to win a single seat in the 2014 polls, is hopeful of improving its performance. The party that has inducted Patidar leader Hardik Patel is hoping to gain from the addition and have some sway over the influential Patels in the state. The BJP, meanwhile, has managed to gain several influential Congress leaders including Javahar Chavda and Kunvarji Bavalia.

West Bengal: the only prominent alliance or seat-sharing agreement in West Bengal is between Congress and Left Front after the two parties ironed out their issues. Congress has decided to let go of the two seats — Murshidabad and Raigunj — which had historically been Congress strongholds, but had lost to the CPI(M) in the 2014 elections.

Rajasthan: Here too, both the BJP and the Congress have not joined hands with any other party and are planning to battle it out solo.

Delhi: The National Capital Territory was abuzz with news of a possible alliance between the ruling AAP and the Congress, but it never fructified. It nows seems to be a lone fight for both of them against the BJP.

Punjab: In this northern state, the BJP has been an old partner of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). While it is currently ruled by the Congress, the BJP-SAD alliance enjoyed the last two consecutive terms before its arch rival romped home to power in 2017.

Haryana: The BJP and the Congress will slug it out alone here as the main contenders after the regional party of Indian National Lok Dal split into two with INLD supermo's grandson and MP Dushyant Chautala forming the Jannayak Janata Party. The new entrant has joined hands with Aam Aadmi Party for the upcoming LS polls.

Himachal Pradesh: With no alliance and hardly any regional player on the turf, the elections will be fought between the BJP and the Congress.

Karnataka: The BJP is going to fight this alone. The ruling coalition in the state, Congress and JD(S), have sorted out a seat arrangement. Inherent contradictions in Congress-JD(S) alliance will help in continuing its strong run and hold over Karnataka.

Tamil Nadu: In TN and Puducherry, both the national parties – BJP and Congress ride piggy back on the Dravidian majors – AIADMK and DMK. This is the first election to be held after the demise of DMK chief M Karunanidhi and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa. The election will be held in a single phase on April 18. BJP has joined the AIADMK-led alliance in the state and will contest in five Lok Sabha seats while the Congress will contest in 10 seats in the DMK-led alliance. DMK has also announced it would contest in 20 seats after leaving the equal number of seats to its allies including CPI (M) and CPI which will contest two seats each.

Kerala: In Kerala, the electoral fight is primarily between the CPI(M) led Left Democratic Front and Congress led the United Democratic Front for the 20 LS seats but the BJP is hoping to cash on the backclash the Pinarayi Vijayan government's decision to enforce the Supreme Court verdict on allowing entry of women into the Sabarimala Ayappan temple.

Karnataka: The ruling coalition in the state, Congress and JD(S), are in talks over sharing of seats for the 28 LS seats, while the BJP is going alone in the state. Thepolls will be held in two phases on April 18 and 23.

Andhra Pradesh: Elections to the 175 Assembly seats and the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh, which will see a single-phase election, will be held on April 11, 2019. The state will see a multi-cornered fight. The ruling TDP led by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu will square off against Jaganmohan Reddy's YSRCP. Also, in the fray are the Congress, Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena, which has tied up with Left parties, and the BJP.

Telangana: The political contest in Telangana will largely be between the TRS, and the Congress, with BJP as a third player. The ruling TRS will hope to keep their momentum going, with the party having won a sweeping mandate in the Assembly Elections that were held in December 2018. The state will go to polls on April 11.

Arunachal Pradesh: The Peoples Party of Arunachal, the Congress, the BJP and the Conrad Sangma-led National People's Party, which is a NDA constituent, are the main parties in the state. The Congress has seen a small revival, but the growing popularity of the NPP due to the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) could rustle up things.

Assam: The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has quit the NDA. Congress leadership is trying to sew up alliance with All India United Democratic Front of Badradin Ajmal, to give a strong resistance to the BJP which has been faltering due to the introduction of the CAB.

Manipur: There is a coalition of the BJP, NPP, Naga Peoples Front (NPF), Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and an Independent.

Meghalaya: NDA constituent NPP and the Congress were interestingly on the same page on the CAB. So, apart from the regional parties, which have a minor presence, the fight will be between Congress and NPP

Mizoram: The Mizo National Front (MNF) seems to have become disillusioned with the BJP following the CAB protests, and still remains within NDA. But it will contest against the BJP here, mailing it a three cornered fight with the Congress in the fray.

Nagaland: The Lok Sabha seat is held by Neiphiu Rio's Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), which is mostly made up of defectors from the Naga People's Front (NPF). The NDPP is still with the BJP. The NPF has since then walked over to join the Congress led Opposition.

Tripura: The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) has split ways with the BJP.