The success formula designed by Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) founded by popular political strategist Prashant Kishor seems to have inspired many journalists and even independent political analysts to float their own survey and strategy agencies to attract the attention of political parties.
In the few years, several such agencies have mushroomed in the Telugu states. Their job is to do surveys – genuine or fabricated – on the prospects of various political parties and come out with their own predictions in the elections, so that they get the patronage of the parties that have good chances of winning.
In fact, some political parties themselves engage such agencies by paying them hefty money and get the surveys “done” in their favour so as to generate a lot of mouth-publicity about their victory chances. Such publicity will also help tilt the voting pattern in their favour, at least to some extent.
Then there are people, who do periodical surveys for a political party on their own and predict its victory, so that if the party really comes to power, they get good positions in the government and opportunities to make big money.
There is one such “leader” who is now part of the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh. While enjoying a good position in the government, he has floated his own survey agency and has been making predictions on the prospects of the YSRC.
Though his survey on Telangana assembly elections did not turn out to be correct, he is learnt to have submitted a latest survey report to Jagan, saying the YSRCP will come back to power for a second term by winning 110-120 seats in the coming elections.
Since this is sounding reasonably okay figure, Jagan has reportedly appreciated this gentleman. Needless to say, if the survey turns out to be correct at least with a margin of 5 percent error, he is sure to win the confidence of Jagan and in the next government, he will definitely be in a top position.
In the last elections, a gentleman who was the only person to predict that Jagan would get 145-150 seats turned out be a lucky man and he is now calling shots in the CMO!