Kerala polls: LDF may return, BJP unlikely to open account, says survey

Thiruvananthapuram, May 10: A pre-poll survey conducted by the Institute for Monitoring Economic Growth (IMEG) based here for the May 16 election in Kerala has predicted the return of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to power. the survey was conducted among 60,000 voters from southern, northern and central regions of Kerala between April 20 and May 6.

According to IMEG, a body comprising statisticians and headed by former director of the economics and statistics department, A Meera Sahib, the LDF may get 83-90 seats in the upcoming election while the currently ruling LDF led by the Congress may get only 50-57 seats. The BJP-led NDA is unlikely to get a seat, the survey said.

The NDA's vote-share would increase, however, the survey said.

Meera Sahib said although the BJP is claiming to do good in this election, tri-polar contest is seen in only four of the 140 constituencies, namely, Nemom, Vatiyurkavu, Majeswaram and Kasargod. He also said the BJDS-led by the Ezhavas is not going to help the BJP, with which it has forged an alliance in this election, since a majority of the voters are not convinced about its relevance, the report added.

The IMEG head also said the LDF holds an advantage in the north and south of Kerala while the UDF may retain its seats in central Kerala. In Malabar, the Welfare Party and the Popular Front of India could ruin the UDF's chances. He also said there is a subtle shift from the Congress's vote-bank to the NDA though it is not evident from the Ezhava cadres of the CPI(M) to the BJDS, he said, according to India Today.

The survey also pointed out that the UDF may lose almost seven seats because of internal rift and that corruption is a major issue in this election. Sixty per cent of the people who were surveyed said the last minute decisions taken by the Oommen Chandy government were not right. It also said the national leaders' campaigning in the state would not influence the voters' decision in this election.

Sixty-three per cent felt the UDF government is involved in the solar scam.

Oneindia News