New Delhi, November 13: The incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to retain power in the hill state of Uttarakhand, benefiting from the division of anti-incumbency votes between Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the new entrant in the political fray in the state, as per the findings of the ABP-CVoter-IANS poll of more than 14,000 samples between the first weeks of October and November.

According to the survey data, the saffron party is expected to grab 41.4 percent of votes in the upcoming Assembly polls in the state. While the main opposition party, Congress is likely to garner 36.3 percent votes, the new entrant AAP is expected to corner 11.8 percent of the votes in the Assembly polls scheduled to be held early next year. BJP Chief J P Nadda to Embark on 2-day Visit to Uttarakhand from Monday.

In terms of number of seats, as per the survey data, the BJP is projected to grab seats in a range of 36 to 40 seats, Congress is expected to win 30 to 34 seats and AAP is likely to grab 0 to 2 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state. The total strength of Uttarakhand Assembly is 70 seats.

Interestingly, the findings of the survey suggest that BJP is expected to return to power in the state, Congress leader and former Chief Minister Harish Rawat is the most preferred candidate for the post of chief minister in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

During the survey, while 31.5 percent of the respondents said that Rawat is their preferred choice for the post of Chief Minister, 27.7 percent of those surveyed opined that they want sitting Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to return to the top job in state. Meanwhile, 18.3 percent of those interviewed during the survey said that Anil Singh Baluni of BJP is the best choice for the post of Chief Minister and 8.8 percent opined in favour of Col. Ajay Kothiyal of the AAP.

According to the survey data, more people believe that changing Chief Ministers in the state will help the incumbent BJP in the upcoming Assembly polls.

Of the 45.3 percent of respondents interviewed during the survey believe that changing Chief Ministers will benefit the saffron party in the 2022 Assembly elections, 39.3 percent opined that the decision will prove to be detrimental for the party's electoral prospects.

As for the much-talked-about impact of the return of Yashpal Arya, a prominent Dalit leader with a strong voter base in Kumaon and Garhwal to the Congress fold, the majority of the those surveyed said that it won't benefit the party in the upcoming Assembly polls in the state. During the survey, while 53.4 percent of the respondents said that Arya's return will not benefit the Congress party, 46.6 percent opined that his return will improve the party's electoral prospects in the assembly polls scheduled to be held early next year.

According to the survey data, the majority of the respondents or 64.6 percent believe that the entry of the AAP into the electoral fray will have its impact on the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

During the latest round of opinion poll, the majority of the respondents, 67.2 percent, said that the rising prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas will be major issues in the upcoming Assembly polls.

Similarly, the majority of respondents - 52.3 percent believe that the issue of dues of sugarcane farmers will be another key issue that can affect the polls in the state.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 15, 2021 10:32 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).