Unemployment Biggest Election Issue In Maha & Haryana: ABP C-Voter

Water issues were voted as the second biggest issue in both states.

With the Maharashtra and Haryana elections coming up in less than a week, it seems like unemployment is the biggest issue in both states, according to the ABP C-Voter survey.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

With the Maharashtra and Haryana elections coming up in less than a week, it seems like unemployment is the biggest issue in both states. According to the ABP C-Voter survey for the third week of October, 28 percent of people in Haryana and 23.1 percent of people in Maharashtra listed ‘status of local employment/business’ as the biggest issue for them at the moment.

Water issues came in second in both states with 12.4 percent of people in Haryana and 18.4 percent of people in Maharashtra stating that it is their biggest issue.

However, in both states, where the BJP is presently in power, the saffron party emerged as the party with the most perceived chance of winning, with 59.8 of people voting for the BJP in Haryana and 48.8 of people voting for them in Maharashtra.

Unemployment & Water Biggest Issue In Both States

While the highest percentage of people in both states said that they “couldn’t say” what their biggest issue was, unemployment and water emerged as the two most pressing issues amongst others.

While the highest percentage of people in both states said that they “couldn’t say” what their biggest issue was, unemployment and water emerged as the two most pressing issues amongst others.(Photo: Aroop Mishra/ The Quint)

The survey, which had a sample size of more than 10,000 people, reveals that 8 percent of people in Haryana and 23.1 percent of people in Maharashtra saw employment and ease of business as their biggest concerns at the moment.

The survey further states that 12.4 percent of people in Haryana and 18.4 percent of people in Maharashtra listed water as their biggest issue.

Condition of local roads was also listed as a major issue in both states, whereas farmers’ and agricultural issues received 13.8 percent of the votes in Maharashtra.

These numbers are coming at a time when the BJP government in both states is being most criticised on the economic issues of the Narendra Modi-led BJP government, like jobs, agrarian distress, crisis in small-scale industries, etc.

The Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana has also been accused of inflating employment numbers in the state. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in his recent rallies in both states, attacked the government on its economic policies, even going on to say that “Modi is the loudspeaker of the rich”.

BJP Responsible For Job Loss, Water Woes: Survey

When asked who they thought was responsible for these issues, 28.1 percent of the respondents in Haryana and 22.5 percent of respondents in Maharashtra said they held the state government responsible.

When asked who they thought was responsible for these issues, 22.5 percent of the respondents in Maharashtra said they held the state government responsible.(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

When asked who they thought was responsible for these issues, 28.1 percent of the respondents in Haryana said they held the state government responsible.(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

However, when asked who they think could solve these problems, 29.1 percent of respondents in Haryana and 28.9 percent of respondents in Maharashtra said they trusted the ruling BJP.

When it comes to specific questions about the Chief Ministers of both states and the state government, the survey gives mixed results.

When asked if they want to change the state government immediately, an overwhelming 57.5 percent of respondents in Haryana and 54.9 percent of respondents in Maharashtra said yes.

Similarly, when asked if they want to change their Chief Ministers immediately, 52.8 percent in Haryana and 54.5 percent in Maharashtra said yes.

However, specific questions about Chief Ministers Manohar Lal Khattar (Haryana) and Devendra Fadnavis (Maharashtra) show a contrasting picture. When asked who is the best candidate for CM-ship, Khattar received 40.3 percent approval, while Fadnavis received 34. 7 percent approval – more than any other candidate on the list.

Bhupinder Singh Hooda of the Congress had the second-best approval rating in Haryana with 19.9 percent approval.

The survey also reveals that the popularity of Prime Minister Modi and the BJP government at the Centre have not waned since the results of the Lok Sabha Elections in May 2019.

71.6 percent of respondents in Haryana and 65 percent of respondents in Maharashtra said Prime Minister Modi is the best candidate for Prime Minister.

Maharashtra and Haryana vote on 21 October 2019.