In what seems to be Maha Vikas Aghadi’s attempt to shift the blame for the failure on EVMs, a new report revealed that the Congress party’s internal survey weeks before the assembly polls showed the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance being the preferred choice among all sections of the society, except the Muslims.
In a report published in the Indian Express, several Congress leaders were quoted as expressing no surprise over how the MVA fared in the elections. Internal surveys conducted ahead of the November 20 state elections indicated that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes the Congress, might struggle to maintain the progress achieved during the Lok Sabha elections in June, the leaders reportedly told the publication.
The survey even showed that the Eknath Shinde government held the upper edge in the assembly elections thanks to the Ladki Behena Yojana, which was steadily gaining traction among a large section of the population.
A survey conducted in October, just under four weeks before the elections, revealed that the MVA was losing the advantage it had gained during the Lok Sabha elections. According to this survey, accessed by The Indian Express, the MVA, which had been ahead in 54 of the 103 “strong MVA seats” during the Lok Sabha elections, was now leading in only 44. In contrast, the BJP-led Mahayuti improved its position, leading in 56 seats compared to its earlier 49. One seat was dominated by “others,” and two were classified as “undecided.”
The survey also found that the MVA maintained an absolute lead over the NDA only among Muslim voters. Across other categories—General, OBCs, SBC, SC, SEBC, and ST—the Mahayuti had outperformed the MVA.
