Survey says Jayalalithaa most preferred CM in Tamil Nadu
Stalin more popular than father: Opinion poll
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-08-30 04:57 GMT
Chennai: Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa continues to be the most popular administrator and preferred chief ministerial candidate for the next Assembly polls 2016, claimed Makkal Aiyvu (People Studies), a citizen’s organisation. It surveyed 3,300 people in Tamil Nadu spread over 80 Assembly segments of the total 234 assembly constituencies covering 28 districts.
Interestingly, DMK treasurer M. K. Stalin overtook his father and party president M. Karunanidhi in the popularity index securing close to 28 per cent in the opinion poll released on Saturday.
Jayalalithaa has recorded 31.56 per cent, while 21.33 per cent of the surveyed still want Karunanidhi as next CM, S. Rajanayagam, director of People Studies, told reporters. For DMDK leader Vijayakanth 6.24 per cent favoured him for the top job followed by Anbumani Ramadoss of PMK with 2.27 per cent.
When it comes to popularity of party, again the ruling AIADMK stood on top overtaking its arch rival DMK by about two per cent. In the current scenario, if Tamil Nadu goes for polling, around 34.1 per cent of the people would vote for the ruling AIADMK, 32.6 per cent for the opposition DMK and a meagre four per cent for the DMDK, followed by PMK with three per cent. The BJP, which was in the third position last November, slipped to regional players like DMDK and PMK, the statewide opinion poll said.
BJP state president Tamilisai Soundarajan finished in a distant ninth position with less than one per cent people favouring her candidature as CM. Among the politicians she only overtook Seeman of fledgling Naam Thamizhar Katchi. MDMK leader Vaiko finished sixth in the popularity index, followed by VCK leader Thirumavalavan and TMC leader G.K. Vasan.
In non-political leaders’ category, very few people preferred controversial IAS officer U. Sagayam and anti-nuclear activist S.P. Udayakumar as CM candidates, Rajanayagam added.