BJP to sweep Chhattisgarh polls, says survey

Chief Minister Raman Singh is set for a third term in Chhattisgarh with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) likely to win 60 seats, said a survey Tuesday.

According to the survey done by ABP News-Dainik Bhaskar-Nielsen, the BJP is expected to lead with a vote share of 44 percent. The Congress is likely to get around 27 seats while other parties and Independents are expected to bag around three seats in the 90-member assembly.

The BJP is likely to gain over the Congress in the Maoist bastions of south and north Chhattisgarh, respectively by 12 and 17 seats. The Congress is likely to get 16 seats compared to the 23 it won in the 2008 assembly elections in central Chhattisgarh, said the survey.

Elections will be held in two phases on Nov 11 and 19.

According to the survey, about three-fourths of the respondents in north and south regions rated Raman Singh's performance as "good" or "very good" and 81 percent said he has a clean image.

Almost half the respondents (47 percent) feel the chief minister is honest and controls corruption. In north zone, 42 percent feel he is honest but cannot control corruption.

Rising inflation is the key factor for change in voting intention from the Congress to the BJP, and the BJP's ability to control rising prices has been cited as the most important reason for voting for it.

Bad condition of roads is the major problem that the people of Chhattisgarh said they are facing today, followed by electricity shortage, unavailability of drinking water, and unemployment.

According to the survey in north region, half the respondents feel the state government has been able to handle Maoism, but only partially.

In the south zone, 38 percent respondents felt the state government has not been able to effectively tackle Maoism. Around 29 percent respondents said the government should opt for negotiations to tackle Maoism.

A vast majority of 94 percent is aware of the food security scheme, indicating this welfare measure has been propagated well by the state government. Around 82 percent respondents said they have personally benefited from the Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojna and there is a very high 86 percent awareness of the rural job scheme, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.