New Delhi: According to a survey conducted by NDTV-CSDS Lokniti, 39 percent of the electorate in Chhattisgarh want Bupesh Baghel to continue as the Chief Minister, while 24 percent prefer Raman Singh to return to power. The survey was conducted before the state votes in two phases on November 7 and November 17.
Surprisingly, only 4 percent of those surveyed want TS Singhdeo, who is reportedly in a power tussle with Mr. Baghel, to be the Chief Minister. On the other hand, 8 percent expressed support for former Home Minister and BJP leader, Brijmohan Agarwal, while 7 percent would like “anyone from the BJP” to be the next Chief Minister.
In terms of satisfaction with Mr. Baghel’s performance as Chief Minister, 45 percent said they were somewhat satisfied, while 34 percent said they were fully satisfied.
The survey also assessed the performance of the current government in areas such as roads, electricity, drinking water, government hospitals, and schools. The majority of respondents felt that these conditions have improved under the incumbent Congress government.
When it comes to voting preferences, 36 percent of those surveyed said candidates matter more, while 32 percent said they would vote for a particular party regardless of the candidates fielded. Another 15 percent said their decision would be influenced by the chief ministerial faces presented by the parties.
The survey also highlighted the importance of election promises made by the Congress and the BJP. The Congress seemed to have struck a chord with voters with their promised schemes, such as the “Half Bijli Bill Yojana” and the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for state employees.
Furthermore, the Godhan Nyay Yojana introduced by the Chhattisgarh government in 2020 was positively received by 53 percent of those surveyed.
In terms of caste dynamics, the BJP enjoys popularity among the upper castes, while the Congress appeals to those from the Other Backward Classes, Dalits, and tribals. The tribals constitute 32 percent of the state population and have 29 reserved seats in the Chhattisgarh assembly.
However, the survey indicated that the Congress has not been able to impress the electorate when it comes to issues such as inflation, unemployment, and corruption. A majority of respondents felt that inflation has increased, unemployment has soared, and corruption has gone up under the Congress government.
The survey was conducted among 2,541 people across 25 constituencies between October 24 and October 30.
