The findings presented here are from the Pre Poll Study 2024 by the Lokniti programme of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), Delhi. The survey was conducted between March 28th to 8th April. A total of 10,019 respondents spread across 19 States of India - Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. The survey was conducted in 400 polling stations (PSs) spread across 100 Assembly Constituencies (AC) in 100 Parliamentary Constituencies (PC).
The sampling design adopted was multi-stage random sampling. This procedure ensures that the selected sample is fully representative of the cross-section of voters in the country. The PCs where the survey was conducted were randomly selected using the probability proportional to size method (adjusting the probability of choosing a particular constituency according to the size of its electorate). Then, one AC was selected from within each sampled PC using the PPS method again. Thereafter, four polling stations were selected from within each of the sampled ACs using the systematic random sampling method. Finally, 40 respondents were randomly selected using the systematic method from the electoral rolls of the sampled polling stations. Of these 40, we set a target of 25 interviews per polling station.
Once we identified our sample, trained field investigators were sent to the field to conduct face-to-face interviews using pre-designed mobile App. The questionnaire for the survey was translated into Hindi and regional languages spoken in respective states. Though the sample is relatively small, but the total number of voters interviewed represent the social reality of the voters of India, i.e. the sample is truly representative of the voters of India with regard to social composition.
The Lokniti team which coordinated and analyses the data, constituted of Vibha Attri, Jyoti Mishra, Devesh Kumar, Abhinav Pankaj Borbora, Nirmanyu Chauhan, Rishikesh Yadav, Himanshu Bhattacharya and Dhananjay Kumar Singh.
In each state, the survey was coordinated by Lokniti Network which includes E Venkatesu (Andhra Pradesh), Dhruba Pratim Sharma (Assam), Rakesh Ranjan (Bihar), Bhanu Parmar (Gujarat), Harish Kumar (Haryana), Veena devi (Karnataka), Sajad Ibrahim (Kerala), Yatindra Singh Sisodia (Madhya Pradesh), Nitin Birmal (Maharashtra), Gyanaranjan Swain (Odisha), Jagroop Kaur (Punjab), Sanjay Lodha (Rajasthan), Gladston Xavier (Tamil Nadu), Mirza Asmer Beg and Shashikant Pandey (Uttar Pradesh), Suprio Basu (West Bengal), Biswajit Mohanty (Delhi), Harishwar Dayal (Jharkhand), Akash Tawar (Chhattisgarh) and Vageeshan Harathi (Telangana).
The Study was directed by Sanjay Kumar, Suhas Palshikar and Sandeep Shastri.
