India Today Opinion Poll: Clear Majority for BJP, Akhilesh for CM

This result is diametrically opposed to the ABP-CSDS poll which predicted an SP win.

The India Today Opinion Poll conducted in the state of Uttar Pradesh – which will go to polls in February 2017 – has given the BJP a clear majority.

According to the survey, BJP’s vote share increased from 31 percent in October (before demonetisation) to 33 percent in December, with both SP and BSP tailing at 26 percent. For the BJP, this translates to 206-216 seats in the polls.

This result diametrically opposes the predictions of the ABP-CSDS poll which showed that the Samajwadi Party is expected to win 141 to 151 seats in the state elections.

Also Read: ABP-CSDS Poll: Akhilesh Will Remain UP CM, SP Will Beat BJP & BSP

Who Will Be UP’s Next Chief Minister?

Even though the survey predicts a BJP win, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav leads the choice for the next Chief Minister with 33 percent of the votes, followed by Mayawati from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with 25 percent votes and Rajnath Singh from BJP with 20 percent votes.

SP supremo Mulayam is the less popular Yadav from the party, and features in both poll lists below his son. In the India Today Opinion Poll, only 1 percent of the voters picked Mulayam for the CM’s post.

Who Will Muslim Voters Pick?

Around 58 percent of Muslim voters favour the SP, with a meagre 4 percent opting for the BJP.

Caste-Based Votes

The BJP is shown to have the maximum support from Thakur, Brahmin and OBC voters. The Yadavs, unsurprisingly, stand strong with the SP.