NEW DELHI: A survey has predicted that the Shiela Dikshit led-Congress government might get a third chance in Delhi, winning a slender majority in the Nov 29 ballot.
According to the findings, although unhappy with the Congress government over issues like inflation, deteriorating law and order, terror attacks and lack of drinking water, the voters may still not give a majority to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or any other party to form a government.
The survey was conducted between Oct 27 and Nov 1, with a sample size of 6,248 voters. It was done before the leading parties announced their candidates. Another survey will be conducted just before the Nov 29 elections so that a clear picture emerges.
The outcome of the survey suggests that the Congress will lose its vote share by 6.1 percent compared to the last elections in 2003 but will manage to win 38 seats in the 70-member assembly.
The BJP and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are poised to increase their vote share but will not be able to edge out the Congress.
The survey suggests that the BJP will get 29 seats, with an increase in its vote share by 4.2 percent. The BSP is predicted to get 10 percent votes, but it will not be enough for the party to convert it into seats. Others are predicted to get around 8.5 percent votes and three seats.
Voters said that price hike, law and order and terrorism are the main issues in the ensuing elections.
On the performance of Shiela Dikshit in the last 10 years, 46 percent termed it "good" and "very good" while 24 percent called it "bad" or "worse".
Fortysix percent thought that their standard of living got better in the last five years.
BJP's chief ministerial candidate VK Malhotra got the nod as a "good candidate" only from 14 percent against Dikshit's 37 percent.
Also, a good 50 percent of the respondents were happy with the performance of Manmohan Singh as prime minister while 17 percent said they were not happy.
