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ONCE AGAIN, we near a time of reckoning. As India readies
for its 12th -- and possibly the most closely contested -- general election, the country
waits anxiously to see which party, if any, will govern. With a tense finish on the cards,
opinion polls hold particular significance. INDIA TODAY has pioneered
political opinion polls, surveying voting habits since 1980
without a break. In keeping with our tradition we selected pollsters engaged in innovative
work in this field. Professor Yogendra Yadav and his team at the Centre for the Study of
Developing Societies conducted random sampling from electoral rolls instead of leaving it
to the field researcher's whims. Their attention to detail was impressive. Indeed, for the
first time in an Indian political opinion poll, the people interviewed were the same ones
spoken to for the opinion poll during the last election. This approach builds internal
checks and allows changes in voting intention to be accurately mapped. Says Yadav:
"Psephology has been reduced to a numbers game of winners and losers; whereas it
should be seen as an interface between people and power."
As the researchers were roaming the country, so were the
correspondents. Our main political story brings you the colour and the people on the
campaign trail -- the political jamboree behind the statistics. To produce this special
elections issue, we sent out 29 correspondents and 17 photographers to 40 constituencies
all over India where the most colourful battles are being fought.
Our poll predicts a hung parliament. This means more excitement and drama for the media
and unfortunately less stability for the country. But don’t despair. This is merely
an opinion poll. It’s the real thing that counts.
(Aroon Purie) |
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