Poll Strategy Analysis; GoP, Opposition and a Newbie how are the positioned

By: Amit Bhushan Date: 8th Feb 2014

The campaign season seems to be steadily progressing towards full bloom. This has also led pollsters out of their hibernation and their business seems to be on boom again. The commercial tele-media seems to happily chirping itself up since their usage as a tool to engage lower middle and middle income group has not diminished yet and its their time to play up any outstanding issues with politico-business leaders and seek all attention towards themselves as the leaders out to court them to gallery. The GoP seems to be carefully crafting their campaign around their cult leader again even as it tries to weave an aura of collectivism, on the sidelines. The principal opposition seems to be following the suit as it has identified its own cult leader and thei r campaign seems to go after the shadowy PM candidate of the GoP i.e. to unearth the leader and then beat him down. This seems to be forgetting the political lessons taught by the public where smaller parties have held their sway in different regions because they have only attacked the local parliamentary leaders citing their lack of contribution towards development causes of the constituency (and possibly leaving the GoP PM unscathed). Such political parties have mushroomed in each linguistic region by positioning their constituency leader as being closer to the people and apparently less corrupt although their media image is that of being much more corrupt and practically useless. The newbie party seems to be adopting an interesting and untried strategy yet. That of man to man marking where in it identifies a corrupt leader of other parties and places a bet on a candidate who would track this corrupt leader to their constituency and make a song and dance about the corruption issues. In a way its more ab out defeating or tier-ing others rather than concentrating on winning ones own constituency. Its only time and experience which will decide if such a strategy is succeeds or fails. Whats important that it yields a gala time for the commercial tele-media since this would keep raining statements and slogans (visual and soundbytes) against some powerful power brokers/players and counter attacks, innuendos etc. which is likely to keep public engaged although for how long needs to be fathomed. What is interesting is GoP attempting an image makeover to seem to impress to public that it is in listening mode even as it tries hard to retain its old cache of loyal leaders intact in command and deploys its team of staff to canvass vote for them with the image of a refurbished party.

This is even as it trades charges and innuendos in a WWF style match with the top leadership of the principal opposition. The challengers at the constituency level are too conspicuous by their absence and hidden from public scrutiny through commercial media. This paves way to sell promises once again in the last lap while no attempt is made to check actual delivery credentials of such leaders. The culture of cultism in parties seems to be game for such a fixed play since this plays up the top leads while the lesser leaders are then supposed to play the ball as per the direction from the top. Lets see how many people watch this spectacle and this result in what poll gains and for whom