The main Opposition party, Congress, is in second place with 184 – 190 seats and the Left Front and others getting figures of 30-32 and 56-58, respectively. BJP alone is expected to get 185 – 199 seats with 25 per cent votes, while Congress is estimated to win 154 – 158 seats. But in voting percentage Congress is behind BJP, according to an official statement from Zee News.

When asked for predictions for voting percentage according to alliances, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ruled the roost with 34 per cent, followed by Congress and allies with 26 per cent and a tiny four per cent of the respondents favouring the Left Front. Twenty-eight per cent respondents are inclined to name other parties.

Rahul Gandhi’s high-profile entry into politics makes him a fresh entrant in the opinion poll. An overwhelming 40 per cent are convinced that this can only bode well for the Congress, while 14 per cent disagree that he can bring about a change in the fortunes of the party. And 46 per cent were unable to arrive at a conclusion.

Among the two Gandhi siblings, Priyanka is the one more likely to make a better leader if 16 per cent are to be believed. But Rahul is barely a step behind with 15 per cent fan following. A larger 19 per cent rate equal chances for both, while 50 per cent were hard pressed to make a choice.

Where election issues are concerned, infrastructure and water facilities continue to get top priority with 82 per cent respondents raising the issue. Unemployment and poverty as issues, however, witness a sharp increase to close the gap with its predecessor with 81 per cent. Is India Shining really?

Economic development holds on to its third position registering 68 per cent. Comparatively insignificant, Indo-Pak relations and Hindutva/Ram Temple fail to live up to the media hype around them notching a meagre 33 per cent and 26 per cent, respectively, as issues of consequence. The foreign origin issue barely registers a presence with 23 per cent respondents.

There is still very little for the BJP to ‘Feel Good’ about, with only 28 per cent of the nation’s population being familiar with the term, while a whopping 72 per cent remain oblivious to the campaign.

As far as prime ministership is concerned Atal Bihari Vajpayee remains the biggest brand with a solid 52 per cent support. Sonia Gandhi continues to lag behind in second place with 30 per cent. LK Advani gets company from Mayawati and Laloo Prasad Yadav sharing the two per cent figure for the top post in the country.

Vajpayee’s leadership has paid dividends to BJP led-NDA image according to 45 per cent, while only eight per cent contradict this fact. About 20 per cent feel no difference has been made.

Coming to the all-important question of which party they would vote in favour of, NDA is ahead with 34 per cent, with Congress marginally closing the gap behind with 26 per cent. The battle is clearly between the two, as the others get no more than 12 per cent as 28 pr cent chose to remain secretive on the matter.

NDA is still the popular choice for a return to power with 48 per cent thinking so. Congress and allies follow behind in a distant second place with 28 per cent support.
The opinion poll was commissioned by Zee News to TALEEM Research foundation
for the general elections in two phases. Covering over 13,000 voters, 65 parliamentary constituencies, 23 states and two Union Territories, a circular random sampling technique was used. The respondents surveyed covered both genders of all ages, economic divisions, educational levels, both urban and rural areas, general, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes categories.