Kolkata, Oct. 2 -- With no major election immediately on the horizon barring the forthcoming civic polls, a political survey being conducted among voters in Bengal is seeking to measure the mood on the Election Commission, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the recent Opposition campaign seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The survey, sources said, is also attempting to gauge the likely outcome if Lok Sabha elections were held immediately and who respondents expect to become the next Prime Minister.
More significantly, it seeks to ascertain whether the Opposition's campaign against the CEC has had any impact on public perception of the government and the poll panel.
A substantial portion of the questionnaire focuses on SIR, which has emerged as a politically contentious issue in Bengal.
Respondents are being asked whether they or any family member were affected by the exercise, including whether a family member's name was deleted from the electoral rolls.
The survey also asks respondents whether they consider the SIR justified and whether the EC was right in undertaking the exercise.
Questions on institutional trust are particularly pointed: respondents are asked whether they have faith in the EC, whether they have full confidence in its preparation of electoral rolls and whether they trust the commission fully or only partially when it comes to declaring election results.
The questionnaire also seeks to capture public opinion on the Opposition's demand for removal of Gyanesh Kumar, including whether respondents consider the demand legitimate and whether they believe impeachment proceedings against the CEC are necessary.
Another section examines perceptions of the electoral process itself, asking respondents whether they prefer EVMs or paper ballots.
The survey is thus attempting to move beyond conventional vote-intention questions to assess whether the recent political contest over the EC, SIR and electoral credibility has altered voter confidence in India's election machinery.
While the BJP is unlikely to publicly acknowledge any concern over the political fallout from the Gyanesh Kumar controversy, the survey's findings could provide an indication of whether
the issue has translated into a wider perception shift among voters.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.