archive: It's Sonia's competence, not foreign origin, that is the issue
It's Sonia's competence, not foreign origin, that is the issue
K Balakrishnan and GVL Narasimha Rao
Times of India
August 14, 1999
Title: It's Sonia's competence, not foreign origin, that is the issue
Author: K Balakrishnan and GVL Narasimha Rao
Publication: Times of India
Date: August 14, 1999
NEW DELHI: When after the fall of the Vajpayee
government last April Sonia Gandhi had staked her
claim for prime ministership, it set the stage
for a new phase of polarisation in Indian
politics - between Prime Minister Atal Behari
Vajpayee and his BJP-led alliance and Sonia
Gandhi and her Congress.
While the BJP opted for a strategy of broadening
its alliance to take in key regional parties, the
Congress decided on a plank of offering a single
party government at Centre.
With the Kargil crisis intervening, it is the BJP
that now seems to be gaining on all fronts - on
account of the ``feel-good factor of Kargil, the
enhanced stature of Prime Minister Vajpayee; and
not least the formidable line-up of allies adding
their strength to the broadened alliance.
A big majority of 64 per cent of the respondents
to the Timespoll survey say that they are
satisfied with the performance of the Government;
this is a much improved rating compared to the
level of around 40 per cent estimated in early
1999. Mr Vajpayee's rating as Prime Minister, at
74 per cent, is even higher than that of his
government.
It is the Kargil crisis that seems to have turned
the tide and proved decisive - with 72 per cent
approving the Government's handling of it.
Overall, 57 per cent ``feel good'' about the
nation's success, while only 23 per cent feel
that the Government is to blame for failure in
preventing Pakistan's intrusion and the
consequent loss of our soldiers' lives.
Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin does not seem to be
an issue with the voters; however, only 38 per
cent feel she will make a good PM as against 45
per cent who feel she will not. It is significant
that while Vajpayee's personal popularity rating
against Sonia (57 per cent to 27 per cent)
exceeds that of his party's versus the Congress
(51 per cent to 32 per cent), it is the reverse
for Sonia.
The projected seats tally for the BJP-led
alliance of 332 represents a gain of 77 over
1998. According to the Timespoll survey this
comes mainly from a near-sweep by the TDP/BJP
combine in Andhra Pradesh and gains in nearly all
states barring Madhya Pradesh and Punjab.
Obversely, the Congress is set to lose heavily in
Andhra and Maharashtra; and gain in Madhya
Pradesh, UP and Punjab.
For this pre-poll survey, Development & Research
Services (DRS) employed a sample size of 8,000
voters spread over 51 representative
constituencies in 15 major states of the country.
The field work for the survey was conducted
between August 5 and August 9.
The margin of error of the votes forecast in the
present survey will be within three percentage
points of the actual value at the national level.
The poll was conducted by GVL Narasimha Rao,
leading psephologist and director, Development &
Research Services (DRS).
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