Morning Brief: BJP Would Get Majority Alone If Elections Were Held Today: Survey; PM Modi In Washington As Trump Prepares To Talk 'Deals'; India Pitches Pinaka Rocket System To France; And More

Catch up on the day’s must-read stories with Swarajya's roundup of the morning's headlines.

BJP Would Get Majority On Its Own If Elections Were Held Today: Survey

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is projected to win 343 seats if Lok Sabha elections were held today, with the BJP securing a majority on its own, according to the India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation poll. The Congress-led INDI Alliance, which won 232 seats in 2024, is expected to drop to 188 seats. Conducted between January 2 and February 9, 2025, the survey covered 125,123 respondents across all Lok Sabha constituencies through fresh interviews and tracking data.

The NDA's vote share is predicted to rise by 3 percentage points to 47 per cent, while the INDIA bloc will see only a marginal 1 per cent increase. The BJP is projected to make significant gains, reaching 281 seats, while the Congress is expected to fall to 78 from its previous 99. In terms of vote share, the BJP is likely to see a 3-point rise to 41 per cent, whereas the Congress may slip to 20 per cent.

PM Modi In Washington With Trump Ready To Talk 'Deals'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Washington DC, where he will meet US President Donald Trump later today (13 February). This is Modi’s first visit to the US since Trump returned to the White House for a second term, making him the fourth world leader to meet Trump after his reelection. Their talks are expected to cover trade, technology, and defence, with China and Pakistan also likely to be discussed.

Trump is expected to push India to increase its purchases of American military equipment and energy as part of his broader push for "deals". In his first conversation with Prime Minister Modi after his reelection, Trump had called for a “fair bilateral trading relationship” with India and wasted no time in suggesting that New Delhi buy more US-made weapons. In response, India is reportedly reviving plans to acquire six additional P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, a deal that was previously scrapped.

Modi Pitches Made-In-India Pinaka Rocket Launchers To France

During his visit to Paris, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) to the French Army. A joint statement said Modi invited France to evaluate the system. Earlier, a French delegation witnessed a demonstration of the Pinaka system, an upgraded version with a 90 km range, developed by DRDO and produced by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) and L&T. While TASL confirmed ongoing discussions without revealing details, a senior DRDO official stated that talks on exporting Pinaka to France remain in the early stages. Meanwhile, the Indian Army, satisfied with its performance, has already inducted four regiments of Pinaka and plans to have ten by 2027, with a long-term goal of acquiring 25 regiments.

Other Developments

Apple Suppliers Get Bulk Of $1 Billion Payout Under PLI Scheme

The government has disbursed nearly $1 billion under its PLI scheme for smartphone manufacturing between 2022-23 and 2024-25, Indian Express has reported. Foxconn, Tata Electronics, and Pegatron, Apple's contract manufacturers, received over 75 per cent of the total amount. Data obtained via RTI shows that Rs 8,700 crore was distributed to 19 companies that met investment and production targets. A total of 32 companies were approved in two rounds of the scheme, which has significantly boosted smartphone production in India. As a result, smartphones have become India's second-largest export, reaching $13.1 billion between April and November 2024.

New Income Tax Bill To Be Introduced Today

PM Modi Meets US Intelligence Chief Tulsi Gabbard

After arriving in the US, PM Modi met Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to discuss intelligence cooperation on counter-terrorism and emerging threats. He also congratulated Gabbard on her confirmation as the top US intelligence official.

A former Democrat, Gabbard was confirmed as DNI by a narrow 52-48 Senate vote. Her nomination faced strong opposition from Democrats in the closely divided Senate, where Republicans hold a slim majority. During her confirmation hearing, she accused Democratic senators of religious bigotry against Hindus.

Trump Speaks To Putin On Ukraine War

President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (12 February) in what he called a “lengthy and highly productive” conversation, marking their first confirmed discussion since Trump’s second term began. The call focused on US-backed negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. He described the discussion as laying the foundation for future cooperation on issues like energy, artificial intelligence, and global geopolitics. Trump reiterated his commitment to mediating a resolution, stating that both leaders recognised the urgent need to halt the conflict.

From The States

Bihar: NDA Likely To Dominate Assembly Polls, Finds Survey

Poll With assembly elections due in Bihar later this year, the BJP-led NDA appears strong and well-positioned to retain power, according to the India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation poll. The survey projects the NDA winning between 33 and 35 of Bihar’s 40 Lok Sabha seats. Meanwhile, the opposition, comprising the Congress and RJD, is expected to suffer a major setback, securing only 5 to 7 seats. The poll also shows the NDA’s vote share rising from 47 per cent in 2024 to 52 per cent now. In contrast, the INDIA bloc is likely to see only a small increase, from 39 per cent to 42 per cent.

Bengal: Mamata Diverts Welfare Funds To Rural Housing Ahead Of Polls

Facing fiscal challenges and rising debt, the Mamata Banerjee government reallocated funds from its Lakshmir Bhandar scheme to a rural housing initiative in the Budget presented on Wednesday. The Chief Minister, who has accused the Centre of withholding PM Awas Yojana funds, had announced the Banglar Bari housing scheme last December. This was the Trinamool Congress’s last full Budget before next year’s Assembly elections, where expectations were high for increased spending on welfare schemes. However, despite financial constraints, popular initiatives like Lakshmir Bhandar and Kanyashree remain key focus areas for the party's outreach.

Assam: BJP Targets Gaurav Gogoi Over Wife’s Alleged Pakistan Links

The BJP has accused Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi’s wife, Elizabeth Colebourn, of having links with Pakistan’s ISI, a charge he strongly denied. BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia claimed Colebourn worked under an ex-advisor to Pakistan’s Planning Commission while at CDKN in Islamabad and still holds British citizenship. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also made similar allegations without naming Gogoi, who dismissed them with a sarcastic movie reference, suggesting he must then be a RAW agent. Gogoi further claimed Sarma was making these accusations to divert attention from alleged land-grabbing cases involving his family.

Follow along for more updates throughout the day.