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SAD (Badal) MP seeks Ban on Opinion Polls After India Today Survey predicts Badal Dal defeat

October 14, 2016 | By

Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) leader and Rajya Sabha MPNaresh Gujral has sought ban on “opinion poll” surveys in wake of upcoming Punjab state assembly polls. In a written statement released after the India Today released results of its’ “opinion poll” survey which predicted that the ruling party’s defeat in Punjab polls 2017.

Reacting to India Today’s polls survey Naresh Gujaral sought “ban on all opinion polls three to four months prior to polling maintaining that these results in spiralling of spurious and unscientific sponsored surveys which are nothing but a serious menace like paid news”.

Notably, the results of Opinion Polls survey conducted by the India Today showed that the Congress was likely to emerge as the single largest party in Punjab by winning 49-55 seats in the Assembly election due early next year.

Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has witnessed both a massive interest by the voters as well as bitter dissent within, is a close second with 42-46 seats. In terms of vote share, while the Congress may command a third of Punjab’s votes (33 per cent), the AAP will trail at 30, says India Today’s Survey.

“The Congress tally, however, is still a few seats short of a simple majority in the 117-member state Assembly. However, the party is likely to form an alliance with Navjot Singh Sidhu’s Aawaz-e-Punjab, which might manage to win a few seats and help the combine reach the magic figure of 59”, reads a report on India Today’s website.

“With a host of controversies, including corruption and allegations of drug peddling haunting them, the ruling combine of the Akali Dal and the BJP is staring at a possible rout with just 17-21 seats, while 3-7 seats may go to smaller parties”, the report reads further.

A screenshot from India Today's News report

A screenshot from India Today’s News report

Exuding confidence though the opinion poll has shown that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trailing, Naresh Gujral said that it was a “ good omen” for his party as the India Today survey in 2012 too had predicted land slide victory for Congress with 69 seats while SAD-BJP combine was trailing far behind with only 46 odd seats . However, the outcome of the poll was just contrary. The Akali–BJP had comfortable majority winning 66 seats while Congress had to content with 44 odd seats.

“Even in a poll eve survey conducted by the same media house, the Congress had been shown winning handsomely but the results of the poll turned the tables on the Amarinder Singh’s government and the Akali-BJP government returned to power. Again, the SAD-BJP combine had got 67 seats in 117 member assembly while Congress was down to 44 seats”, said Gujral.

Notably, there are months to go before the actual polling takes place in Punjab therefore the reliability of such early surveys always remains under question.


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