Opinion polls predict victory for Cong in Raj

New Delhi, Oct. 7: The Congress is likely to unseat the BJP from power in Rajasthan, two opinion polls have predicted in what could be a continuation of the state’s tradition of over two decades of voting out the ruling party.

Surveys carried out by ABP News- CVoter and C fore have given the Congress almost 50 per cent of the vote share and 142 and 124- 138 seats respectively in the 200member Rajasthan Assembly, with its state president Sachin Pilot leading chief minister Vasundhara Raje as the most preferred candidate for the top post.

While the C fore survey is restricted to Rajasthan, the ABP News- CVoter opinion poll has also predicted the outcome of the Assembly elections in Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) ruled Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, giving an edge to the Congress in both the states.

The BJP is in power in Madhya Pradesh ( MP) and Chhattisgarh for 15 years. The pre- poll survey has, however, added that a minor swing in both he states can turn the tide in the favour of either of the two main parties due to a very small difference between their projected vote shares.

It has predicted 122 seats for the Congress in the 230- member MP Assembly and 47 seats for the opposition party in the 90- member Chhattisgarh Assembly. The BJP has been projected to bag 108 and 40 seats in these two states respectively.

The BJP had on Saturday expressed confidence that it would register a “record victory” in the upcoming state Assembly elections and retain power in MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

Senior BJP leader and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said the saffron party would secure a record victory on the basis of its hard work and development measures, besides the performance of its governments in the three states.

In Rajasthan, Mr Pilot leads Mrs Raje as the popular choice for the chief minister’s post with 36 per cent voters preferring him, while the latter is the first choice for 27 per cent, according to the ABP News- CVoter poll, which says former chief minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot enjoys the backing of 24 per cent voters. The C fore poll says Mr Pilot, Mr Gehlot and Mrs Raje are the first choice of 32, 27 and 23 per cent voters respectively. — PTI