BENGALURU: With just about 10 months to go for the Assembly election, scores of MLAs, mostly from Bengaluru and other urban centres, have begun enlisting the services of external agencies from Mumbai and New Delhi to conduct surveys on their standing among voters.
The Assembly elections are likely to be held in April-May next year and many of these sitting MLAs are keen to know whether they would face an uphill task for whether it would be a cake walk for them. In the remaining time, they also plan to focus more on their constituencies.
Getting Battle-ready
* 12-month agreements with market research firms, running into crores of rupees.
* Six surveys and opinion poll to be conducted.
* Agreement includes door-to-door surveys, on-ground campaign.
* Will be fully responsible for poll campaign management
* Will conduct campaign on social media platforms too.
* Will collect information about opponents and formulate strategy.
Some of the MLAs have already inked deals with and the first stage of the survey is already under way, it is learnt. As per the agreement, the market research agencies will chalk out the election campaign strategy, conduct a survey and will also manage resources.
Will such an exercise help overcome any anti-incumbency factors? Perhaps not. And the lawmakers know that. But they are unwilling to leave anything to chance and are looking to make a course correction wherever required ahead of the poll battle.