New Delhi (Agency): If Rahul Gandhi is not a candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra appears to be the public’s favorite choice as the face of a united opposition. This was the outcome of an exclusive survey done by CVoter, with a total of 4,029 participants aimed at understanding the shifting political landscape in the country.
The CVoter survey unveiled that approximately one-third of the respondents have picked Priyanka Gandhi as their preferred choice for the opposition leader, in case Rahul Gandhi cannot run due to his disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP by the Supreme Court.
AAP founder, Arvind Kejriwal, came second in the survey, with 13.9% of respondents favoring him. Close on his heels, JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, also a former NDA member, was chosen by 13.6% of the respondents. Meanwhile, Mamata Bannerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal and TMC founder, was the top pick for 10.4% of the participants. A significant 30% of the respondents expressed uncertainty or chose not to comment on the issue.
As discussions continue about who will be the prime ministerial candidate for the united opposition in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, supporters and leaders of the Congress were initially confident in Rahul Gandhi, especially following the seeming success of his “Bharat Jodo Yatra.”
However, this hope was dashed after Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a trial court in Surat, Gujarat, for a defamation case, resulting in a two-year prison sentence. The Election Commission of India subsequently disqualified Rahul Gandhi from his Lok Sabha membership and barred him from contesting any elections for the next eight years.
Despite appeals for a stay on his conviction so he could contest elections, both the Sessions and High Court in Gujarat rejected his requests. Rahul Gandhi filed an appeal in the Supreme Court on July 16, 2023, asking for a stay on his conviction and sentence.
As the political landscape continues to shift, the CVoter survey provides a glimpse into public sentiment. It remains to be seen how these preferences will shape the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the face of the united opposition.