An exclusive survey conducted by the election survey agency C-Voter for the news agency IANS in Andhra Pradesh has revealed that the arrest of Telugu Desam Party president and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in the skill development corporation scam has generated sympathy for the TDP.
The survey apparently disclosed that a majority of the respondents who took part in the survey believe that Naidu's arrest will generate sympathy for him among the voters. The survey had a sample size of 1,809 respondents.
Overall, more than 53 percent of the residents of Andhra Pradesh believe that the arrest will generate sympathy for Naidu.
Opinion appears to be divided across the political spectrum, according to the C-Voter survey. Close to three-fourths of the respondents who identify as supporters of the TDP claim that Naidu's arrest will generate sympathy for him. Similarly, just under two-thirds of respondents who identify as BJP supporters share the same view.
Significantly, about four out of every ten respondents who are supporters of the ruling party YSR Congress believe that the arrest will generate sympathy for Naidu.
The matter is becoming even more controversial as the state is gearing up for both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections next year.