‘Janta Ka Mood’ survey predicts landslide victory for NDA in Bihar polls

Janjivan Bureau
New Delhi: A new pre-poll survey has predicted landslide victory for the BJP-led NDA in Bihar with the alliance projected to win 162 seats and the JD(U)-RJD-Congress combine set to win only 51 seats.
According to the latest pre-poll survey by Zee News and survey agency ‘Janta Ka Mood’ done three days ahead of the first phase of polling on October 12, the NDA comprising BJP, LJP, RLSP and HAM is projected to win a thumping majority in the 243-member Assembly.
The survey has predicted that the Nitish Kumar- and Lalu Prasad-led grand secular alliance will be decimated to an all-time low of just 51 seats.
The survey projects that there will be a close contest on 30 seats where any party can win.
In the overall percentage share of votes, the survey predicts the NDA alliance to get 54.8 per cent and the grand secular alliance likely to garner 40.2 per cent, while others will get six per cent of votes.
As per the survey, the NDA alliance has an edge over its rivals on all caste combinations except Yadav where the ‘grand secular alliance’ is likely to get more votes. Among all caste combinations, the new poll finds 65 per cent of forward caste voting going in favour of NDA alliance. It has positive impressions on Dalit and Mahadalit where NDA is likely to garner 57 per cent of votes but ‘Grand Alliance’ will get 36 per cent only.
Among Other Backward Caste (OBC) voters, 55 per cent view NDA alliance favourably and only 40 per cent root for ‘grand alliance’. But among Yadav voters, ‘grand alliance’ has an edge with 50 per cent while NDA alliance is likely to get 45 per cent, according to the survey.
The survey further said that only 35 per cent Muslim respondents in Bihar are rooting for NDA, while 58 per cent voters are likely to favour the ‘grand secular alliance’.
The survey was conducted on all 243 Assembly seats between October 5 and 8. A total of 54,411 respondents out of 10 lakh people were approached on phone by survey agency ‘Janta Ka Mood’, a survey start-up by IITians.
In the 2010 Assembly polls in the state, the then BJP-JD(U) alliance had won 206 seats, while Lalu Prasad’s RJD and Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP had won 25 seats.
Bihar Assembly polls will be held in five phases on October 12, 16, 28, November 1 and 5. Counting of votes will take place on November 8.