Ex-Loyola College students predict 49% vote share for DMK, even as Loyola disavows and distances itself from them

The college has said that they have never done any such survey, even as the group released a detailed pre-poll survey conducted by them
The survey predicted victor to the M K Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
The survey predicted victor to the M K Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)

Even as a group of former Loyola College students, who work under the banner of People Studies — a research and advocacy group — have done a pre-poll voter survey that predicts a resounding victor to the M K Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), their alma mater has expressly dissociated themselves from the group — and its findings.

Conducted by 30 researchers who travelled to all 40 constituencies from March 15-April 1, the results of the survey make for compelling reading. They predict that the DMK-Congress combine will win the elections with a sizeable vote share of 49 per cent, while the ADMK-BJP-PMK-DMDK combine is expected to manage just 32 per cent, while the other parties wangle the remaining 19 per cent. 

Meanwhile, their alma mater, the prestigious Loyola College distanced themselves from the group and their findings. In a statement, the Principal said, "There is no connection between our college and the pre-poll survey done by the former students of the colege under the aegis of People Studies to predict who will win the 2019 parliamentary polls and the by-polls to assembly constituencies.  We also have no connection with their review of the working of the state and central governments. This college does not have the facilities or the intention of conducting any such pre-poll survey and we have not done so for any prior election." The majority of the media still uses the Ex-Loyola College students moniker to describe the advocacy group, which also predicted the outcome of the RK Nagar bypoll with acute precision.

They also asked the people surveyed who they would pick to be the next Chief Minister if the current government fell, and the majority answer was Stalin with 33 per cent of the votes. Current CM Edappadi K Palaiswami (22%) and TTV Dhinakaran (20%) trailed him while Kamal Haasan (7%), Rajinikanth (4%) and Seeman (5%) barely appeared to have dented voter interest.

The sample of Tamil Nadu voters surveyed by the group also picked Rahul Gandhi to be the next PM with 35.7 per cent backing him, while incumbent PM Narendra Modi managed only 27.9 per cent. The knowledge level of the electorate left a little to be desired as 7.7 per cent of them picked Manmohan Singh and 4.4 per cent actually wanted to see Priyanka Gandhi in the hot seat.

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