Perceptions | Ajit Jogi | Dilip Singh Judeo |
All figures in percentage | ||
Should Ajit Jogi and Delip Singh Judeo contestelections/lead the party? | ||
Yes | 50 | 47 |
No | 26 | 23 |
Don't Know/Can't Say | 24 | 30 |
Are Jogi and Judeo guilty of corruption? | ||
Yes | 26 | 21 |
No | 23 | 31 |
Don't Know/Can't Say | 51 | 48 |
Has the sting operation on Dilip Singh Judeo—showing him accepting a bribe made an impact on voters in Chhattisgarh? Contrary to Congress and BJP perceptions, it may only have a marginal influence on the final electoral outcome. A snap poll conducted on November 18 by AC Nielsen—two days after the scam broke into the open—reveals that nearly half (48 per cent) of the respondents were not even aware of the Judeo scam. Among those who knew about it, 31 per cent said the allegations were false. The remaining 21 per cent, though, felt they were true.
In light of the allegations, when prospective voters were asked whether Judeo should withdraw, 47 per cent felt he shouldn't and that he must contest the polls. Only 23 per cent said he should. The remaining 30 per cent did not wish to express any opinion.
Meanwhile, to a question on whether Ajit Jogi is guilty of forgery, 26 per cent said they believed the allegations were true. Only 23 per cent felt he was not guilty. On whether Jogi should still lead the Congress, 50 per cent said he should. Only 26 per cent felt he must pull out. As for Judeo, 47 per cent felt he must head the BJP campaign in the state, while 23 per cent were of the view that he should not.
Going by the poll, the allegationsagainst both Jogi and Judeo have received a similar public response. In both cases, close to 50 per cent were unaware of the allegations and the other half felt that they should continue with their election campaign. So it is unlikely that the charges against the two will have much of an impact on voting patterns. In all, 729 interviews were conducted in six assembly constituencies in the state, but mainly in the urban areas.