Opinion Polls Predict Congress Win In Rajasthan, Close Fight In Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
Assembly elections 2018: What opinion polls say...
The Congress could win Rajasthan, while it will be a close fight in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, according to the average of four opinion polls, as India heads into crucial state polls ahead of the next general election.
Elections will be held in five states starting Nov. 12. Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan send 65 members to the Lok Sabha. The five states that are going to polls, including Telangana and Mizoram, are represented by 83 parliamentarians. The results, which will be announced on Dec. 12, will be an indicator of who holds the edge while going into the next general election.
In Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party will go head to head. Of the three, the BJP has ruled two—MP and Chhattisgarh—for 15 years.
All opinion polls predict the Congress winning a clear majority in Rajasthan. The poll of polls shows the Congress potentially wining 119 seats in the 200-member assembly. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje faces anti-incumbency and is fighting hard to hold on to power. The Congress, however, has its own share of problems with no clear chief ministerial candidate and reports of infighting.
The 230-seat Madhya Pradesh Assembly will see a close fight between the Congress and the BJP. While the ABP-CVoter poll shows the BJP sliding from 165 seats to 108, others indicate a close fight.
The Congress, in a way, has taken a leaf out of the BJP’s poll pitch by promising a cow shelter in every panchayat and a tourist circuit dedicated to Lord Rama. Incumbent Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan promises a cow ministry.
The 100-seat Chhattisgarh assembly is also expected to see a close contest between the Congress and the BJP, going by the opinion polls. While the ABP-CVoter poll shows the Congress nosing ahead with a 40 percent vote share, other polls indicate a close fight.
The pitch has been skewed with Bahujan Samajwadi Party Chief Mayawati refusing to ally with the Congress, and instead, joining hands with rebel Congress leader Ajit Jogi. The BSP had only 4.27 percent vote share in the 2013 polls but in a close contest, the smallest margins can make all the difference.
