A post-poll survey done by India Ahead News and social science research institute Lokniti CSDS has shown a jump in the predicted vote share of the Mahagathbandhan or the Grand Alliance in the Bihar Assembly elections, in comparison to their pre-poll estimates.
The post-poll estimates also showed a huge increase in preference for Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav to become the chief minister.
The post-poll survey, which was done between October 29 and November 9, predicted the Opposition alliance’s vote share at 39%. The alliance’s vote share in the pre-poll survey between October 10 and 17 was predicted at 32%.
The National Democratic Alliance’s predicted pre-poll share was 38%, while in the post-poll estimate it was 36%.
India Ahead and Lokniti CSDS’s post-poll survey predicted that the Mahagathbandhan will secure 131-139 seats in the assembly, the NDA will get 92 to 100 and Lok Janshakti Party four to eight seats. In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, 122 is the halfway mark.
The post-poll survey found that preference for Yadav as chief minister was at 40%, which was a substantial increase from 27% in the pre-poll estimates. The preference for Nitish Kumar, meanwhile was 36% in the pre-poll survey and 31% in the post-poll analysis.
The post-poll estimates also showed that development, with a share of 36%, was the most important topic for the elections. Its share in the pre-poll estimate was 29%. The matter of unemployment came second with a 23% share in the estimate.
In a post-poll survey, randomly-selected voters are interviewed at their homes by investigators, according to India Ahead.
Counting for the Bihar Assembly elections is scheduled to take place on Tuesday. Various exit polls on Saturday predicted that the Opposition alliance is likely to have an edge in the Bihar Assembly elections with a razor-thin margin, after a tight race for votes between Yadav and Kumar. None of the poll gave the Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party significant numbers.
Also read: Bihar: Exit polls predict victory for Mahagathbandhan with Tejashwi Yadav as chief minister
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