New Delhi, March 16 -- The Bharatiya Janata Party has firmed up its alliances in most of the key states, taking an early lead over the Congress, which is still struggling to strike seat sharing deals with its alliance partners. As a result of this, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is appearing as a more cohesive bloc than the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance.

This week, the BJP got a shot in the arm when its erstwhile alliance partner, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) returned to the NDA fold. Similarly, the saffron party was able to placate the sulking Apna Dal in Uttar Pradesh, by offering it two seats. Accordingly, Apna Dal chief Anupriya Patel will contest from Mirzapur, while the second seat will be decided later. However, i...