As the political landscape in Rajasthan remains in flux, ABP News in association with CVoter, held a snap poll to shed light on the prevailing sentiment regarding the rift between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot, and whether or not it can impact the Congress party in the upcoming assembly polls.
According to the ABP-CVoter Snap poll, a substantial 65.3% of BJP supporters believe that the Congress will face significant losses due to the ongoing tussle between Gehlot and Pilot. Congress supporters are not far behind, with 42.2% of them sharing that the party can suffer because of it. A notable 47.5% of those who identify with neither party also anticipate losses for the Congress. In total, 52.8% of respondents expect the party to suffer substantial losses.
The snap poll also highlights that 12.9% of BJP supporters and 19.9% of Congress supporters foresee "some" losses for the Congress due to the internal strife. The figures are similar for those who support neither party, with 13.8% sharing this belief. Overall, 15.8% of respondents anticipate that Congress will experience some losses.
On the other hand, there remains a segment of the electorate that remains optimistic about the Congress' prospects despite the discord. Within the BJP supporter base, 17.1% believe that the Congress won't suffer any losses, while a substantial 36.0% of Congress supporters share this sentiment. Moreover, 38.8% of respondents who do not align with either party share this belief. In total, 28.7% of those polled foresee no losses for the Congress.
Nevertheless, a small fraction remains undecided or unwilling to express an opinion. In total, 2.7% of the participants in the poll refrained from taking a stance on the issue.
The rift between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot has been a significant factor in Rajasthan's political landscape. Sachin Pilot's "Jan Sangharsh Yatra" earlier this year aimed to underscore his party's commitment to combatting corruption. The subsequent unity between the two leaders ahead of the state's Assembly elections was heralded as a step towards reconciliation.
Pilot, who had previously raised allegations of corruption against the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP administration, had explained that his opposition is rooted in a broader concern for tackling corruption. He emphasised that his concerns were not directed at any individual but rather at the larger issue of corruption in the state.
The 2023 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election is scheduled for November 25, 2023, with the vote count set for December 3.