HuffPost-CVoter Pre-Poll Survey: Development Is Top Priority For The Bihar Voter

Issues of development, rather than 'jungle raaj' or crime, play strongest on the minds of those planning to cast their votes in the forthcoming Bihar polls later this year. However don't expect the sweeping victories that were seen in Delhi and J&K. The results of a HuffPost-CVoter survey suggest that most of the dissatisfaction among those looking to vote is directed towards their immediate political representative, again an indicator of anger against the quality of roads, schools, colleges, electricity supply and inflation, rather than the Chief Minister or state government. Currently the Nitish Kumar government controls 115 of the 243 seats of the Bihar Assembly.

There is however a palpable pessimism among a significant proportion of voters--nearly 39%--in that neither of the contesting parties can immediately solve Bihar's problems. That said, the NDA alliance (of the BJP+LJP+RLSP) have an edge (36.2%) over the Nitish-led JDU alliance (25.1%).

However what should give cheer to the Modi-led BJP is the that nearly 70% of those polled don't want the Central Government or MP to change, which could either mean that they expect a stable centre to be necessary for improving Bihar's local problems or a general resignation--as in evinced with their views on the state government--that the political leadership can do little to alleviate Bihar