Patnaik the popular choice in Orissa: Opinion Poll

As Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Orissa, said on Tuesday that regional parties would play a decisive role in forming the government, the latest television opinion poll has projected him as the ‘most popular choice’ in the eastern India state.

According to a poll conducted by NDTV news channel, 72% interviewed favoured the incumbent Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to return to power in Orissa. The poll predicted way above the halfway mark for the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in 147-member assembly.

The survey shows that at least 85% people in Orissa believe that the 10-year long BJD rule in Orissa has done enough on development sectors like power, road and water. The BJD’s prospect of gaining the maximum number of seats over Congress and BJP might also a result of the clean image of Patnaik.

In terms of numbers, the BJD and its allies may get 82 of the 147 assembly seats leaving behind Congress with just 48 while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at a distant third with just 14 seats, according to the survey.

The NDTV opinion poll also shows the rising popularity of Patnaik with 72% in comparison to the Congress leader and former chief minister Janaki Ballabh Patnaik (11%) and the present PCC president KP Singh Deo (11%).

Though in some aspects the BJD government performance lacks behind, especially in generating more employment [the survey put it in 42:51 ratio], the present break up in the 11-year-long ties with BJP may go in favour of BJD.

However, out of the consideration of this opinion poll, the Congress party workers in Orissa are trying to gain the most out of the present BJD-BJP rift but that can only be surfaced after the election. Orissa is going for elections in two phases, on April 26 and 23.