Good news is bad news

Pre-poll surveys conducted by media houses in Chhattisgarh gave the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a clear edge with some reports predicting that the party would win no less than 60 Assembly seats out of 90. But no one in the BJP headquarters is ready to celebrate. That's because their experience with pre-poll surveys has been distinctly poor. As one local leader pointed out, the same channels conducted surveys in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and gave the party a clear majority in both states. But the party lost both. Now, leaders are trying to convince the cadres to work hard for their party candidates rather than wallow in complacency.