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STATES
WHERE POLLS ARE DUE
 Tamil
Nadu: The decline of the Tamil Maanila Congress means the contest
between the DMK alliance and the AIADMK front will be more intense. The
poll suggests that the state is almost evenly split between the two. But
M. Karunanidhi may be heartened that there is no indication of
any great anti-incumbency mood.
 Uttar
Pradesh: Rajnath Singh has an uphill task. The BJP has declined
further and neither the Vajpayee touch nor the Ram magic is working. The
Congress is on the ascendant but the SP and BSP haven't grown. If the
fight is quadrangular, there is no clear winner. If there is an alliance,
sheer arithmetic will prevail.
 Kerala:
In a state where the difference between the winner and loser is a few
thousand votes, E.K. Nayanar is burdened by two complications.
He is perceived to have failed on the law and order front and disgruntled
left voters are shifting to the BJP. The new equation makes the Congress-led
UDF a clear favourite.
 West
Bengal: Mamata Banerjee has a real problem. She can't unseat Buddhadev
Bhattacharya unless her TMC teams up with both the Congress and the
BJP. There is a strong anti-incumbency mood but there's no way Sonia and
Vajpayee will fight together. Minus that ideological impossibility, the
anti-Left sums don't add up.
 Assam:
Something strange is happening in Assam. From a Congress versus AGP battle,
it's becoming a triangular fight with the BJP gaining ground spectacularly.
Prafulla Mahanta's record is poor and he seems a loser. If it fights
alone, the BJP could cause an upset. If it allies with the AGP, the Congress
is home and dry.
Who
will make the best prime minister?
Vajpayee
43
Sonia Gandhi 28
Jyoti Basu 2
Sharad Pawar 2
V.P. Singh 2
How
do you rate Vajpayee's performance as PM?
Good
40
Average 35
Poor 19
Rest: Don't know, can't say
All
figures in per cent
Which
issues in your reckoning should be on top of the Vajpayee
regime's agenda?
Economic
concerns score impressively
| ISSUES |
ALL |
URBAN |
RURAL |
| Rising
prices |
27 |
24 |
27 |
| Ayodhya |
14 |
16 |
13 |
| Farmer's
woes |
13 |
6 |
15 |
| Unemployment |
12 |
14 |
11 |
| The
Kashmir problem |
11 |
13 |
10 |
| Corruption |
10 |
13 |
10 |
| National
security |
3 |
5 |
3 |
| Infrastructure |
3 |
4 |
2 |
Rest:
Don't know. Can't say
All
figures in per cent
Should
non-performing PSUs be sold off?
Yes
34
No 47
Rest: Don't know, can't say
All
figures in per cent
Over a third
of the Indian populace seems to prefer private-sector economics. Nevertheless
almost half is committed to socialist strategies. This is not a vote for
liberalisation.
UPPER,
DOWNERS
What makes you most hopeful for India?
Agricultural
plenty 24
Good leadership 15
National economy 13
Infotech 12
Others 20
Rest: Don't know, can't say
All
figures in per cent
What
makes you most ashamed of India?
Corruption
30
Lack of drinking water 13
Bad roads 12
Crime 10
Others 30
Rest: Don't know, can't say
All
figures in per cent
Which
is the best way to resolve the Ayodhya issue?
Hindu-Muslim
negotiations 37
Build a temple at the site 20
Let the court decide 19
Status quo: do nothing 8
Build a mosque at the site 5
Rest: Don't know, can't say
All
figures in per cent
What
impact have Vajpayee's recent statements on Ayodhya had
on his image?
Good:
36
Bad: 17
None: 36
Rest: Don't know, can't say
All
figures in per cent
Top
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METRO TODAY
As
the Government brings in more people and mops more money in taxes, it
must be seen to be rewarding those who come forth and pay up, writes India
Today Associate Editor V. Shankar Aiyar in 
