The ABP-CVOTER-IANS BATTLE FOR THE STATES - WAVE 1 is projecting AAP as the single largest party in Punjab with a seat share of 55 and vote share of 35 per cent. Faction ridden incumbent, the Congress is currently in the second position with 29 per cent vote share and 42 seat share projection.
In a striking observation, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is projected as the most popular leader in Punjab at 21.6 per cent affirmation. It is pertinent to note that this is partly due to non-projection of a CM face by AAP. Akali Dal chieftain Sukhbir Singh Badal is the second most popular leader (19 per cent), closely followed by incumbent CM Amarinder Singh (18 per cent).
The new PPCC President Navjot Singh Sidhu has not cut much ice with the electorate as his popularity number (15 per cent) for CM choice trails that of Bhagwant Mann of AAP (16 per cent). Sidhu currently is the least popular among the Big 5 of Punjab's leadership.
The Punjab unit of BJP is staring at its worst performance in recent decades owing to the anger generated by farmer protests and loss of alliance with the Akali Dal. The party will gain marginal vote share to notch 7 per cent of total votes but it may fail to win a single legislative assembly seat.
Sidhu, the big bold gambit of Congress in Punjab has not shown tangible gains. Rather this move has divided the party. Aam Aadmi Party is clearly benefiting from farmer protests and anti-incumbency, but an absence of CM face is leaving the party just short of majority mark. Akali Dal and the BJP are unable to find a winning formula after their rancorous fallout.
Besides, the survey, conducted in the five poll-bound states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, revealed that about 51 per cent respondents in Punjab are not satisfied at all with work of the MLA of their respective areas. Only 17.1 per cent respondents are very much satisfied and about 25.6 per cent are satisfied to some extent, the survey said.