An exclusive TSI-CVoter PRE-POLL SURVEY in Bihar

 Bihar goes to polls in six phases through October and November to elect a new state government and state legislature. With Nitish Kumar's reasonable track record, Lalu Prasad Yadav's confidence in staging a comeback, the BJP keeping its talismanic campaigner Narendra Modi out and the Congress desperate to gain a significant foothold, the battle royale will lack anything but colour and excitement. This exclusive TSI-CVOTER survey seeks to gauge people's sentiment and mood in the state. About 3,846 randomly selected voters throughout the state participated in the survey held in the third and fourth weeks of September. The result of this election is going to decide the fate of Lalu and Ram Vilas Paswan, both over 65 years, and Nitish who is hovering around the 60-year mark. The Congress' interest will be best served if a hung Assembly is returned. The Centre can then have Presidents Rule for some time before fresh elections are held. That should help the Congress. The bigger question is whether the people of Bihar will give precedence to development over caste equations. This survey will hopefully point in the right direction and give you a clear picture.