HuffPost-CVoter survey shows AAP to win 100 seats in Punjab

Chandigarh, March 31, 2016 : With less than a year to go for elections to the 117-member Assembly in Punjab Aam Aadmi Party is all set to steal the show, exclusive HuffPost-CVoter tracking poll shows.

The seat projections according to the poll will be a great boost for AAP supporters in Punjab, while the Congress, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and its partner Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will want to look closely at the drawing board, as crucial months are still ahead of them, says the survey.

Conducted in February 2016, the survey shows a consolidation of favourable sentiment in favour of AAP from the same time last year. AAP is set to bag 94-100 out of the 117 seats in the Punjab Legislative Assembly, up from the 83-89 projection of the CVoter poll from April, 2015.

“This is not coming as a shock because AAP’s upswing was noticed in late 2013 and early 2014. It has further consolidated,” said Yashwant Deshmukh, founder of CVoter.

The latest CVoter-HuffPost poll has the Congress Party trailing in the second position with 8-14 seats in the Assembly, down from the 12-18 seats projection, last year. The SAD-BJP alliance comes in third with 6-12 seats, down from 13-19 seats, last year.

The 78 percent of respondents said that they wanted a change in government, indicating a huge wave of anti-incumbency. Unemployment, drug abuse and corruption were identified as the three main problems of Punjab.

The 51 percent respondents said they would choose Arvind Kejriwal over Amarinder Singh, who served as Chief Minister from 2002 to 2007, and is likely to be the Congress Party’s candidate in the state election.They also chose him over Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, son of Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal.

Reacting to the survey, Aam Aadmi Party State Convener, Sucha Singh Chhoteput said,” People of Punjab are ready to give Delhi like mandate to Aam Aadmi Party in state in upcoming 2017 Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections. The recent surveys are indicating that AAP is going to form the government with huge margin.”

“The enthusiasm of people at Maghi Mela Rally held at Sri Mukatsar Sahib in January and the Hola Mahalla Conference at Sri Anandpur Sahib are clear indication of huge wave in the favor of AAP.” Aam Aadmi Party Campaign Incharge and Sangrur MP, Bhagwant Mann said.