NEW DELHE: Two thirds of those living in Delhi and Lucknow believe Ail politicians are corrupt, 89% fact! They have become more so in recent years and a majority think they will never be convicted of corruption.

Within those limits, Prime Minister P.Y, Narasimha Rao is seen as the most honest of the lot by many people than BJP president L.K. Advani, while the party’s prime ministerial candidate Atal Behari Vajpayce scores even higher than Mr, Rao, thanks to a good showing in Lucknow, which he represents in the Lok Sabha.

Attempts by politicians to convince people that corruptions was a result of the need to fund costly elections do Not seem (o have worked, with most expressing the view that the major causes were the ability to make money. ‘And the pursuit of personal gains.

These are some of the findings of an ‘opinion poll conducted in Doli und Lucknow by the CMAS for The Pioneer last week.

While Mr. Vajpayco’s showing confirms to the perception of these two cities boing BJP strongholds, a mere seven per cent of the respondents see Mr, Advani as the most honest and even in Delhi, from where he has won a Lok Sabha scat, only, eight per cent. Feel he is the most honest of the lot.

Interestingly, Mr. Rao’s image among Delhi respondents was better oven than Mr. Vajpayco’s,

‘The BJP’s strength in the two cities is, how over, reflected in the finding that 40% think it is the most honest party against just 27% who have a similar view of the Congress. This gap is nonetheless narrowed down to just 3432 in Delhi against 4720 in Lucknow.

There is also a clear gender skew to the responses, with Mr. Ruo and his party having a distinctly belier image among women than among men.

Mr. Rao is scenes the cleanest politician by 36% of the women (considerably higher than Mr, Vajpayco’s 22%) and the Congress as the most honest by 39% of them (36 for the BJP).

The total number of people surveyed was 994, of which $76 were from Delhi and 418 from Lucknow.

Almost half of them were not aware ‘of the hawala scandal, the level of awareness being somewhat higher in Delhi than in Lucknow. deh An interesting finding was that the Level of awareness among women was: higher than among mon in the 18-35) age group, while among the older lot, men were more aware of the sandal) Also those with monthly incomes of between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 wets More aware of the scandal than those with lower or higher incomes.

The 518respondents who were aware of the hawala case were then asked for their response on various aspects rejecting to politicians and corruption.

Delhi respondents proved more cynical with 66% saying all politicians are corrupt against 60% in Lucknow and 64% of Delhiittes asserting that politicians would never be convicted Tor corruption, an issue on which these from Lucknow were equally divided.

Surprisingly, Janata Dal leader V.P. Singh is seen as the most honest politician by only 12% of the respondents ‘and CPI(M) Leader Jyoti Basu by only 7% (the same number as for Mr.

Similarly, only 9% of the respondents picked Mr. Singh’s Government as the cleanest against 46% for Indira Gandhi’s 22 % for Rajiv Gandhi’s and 12% for Mr. Rao’s

Government

Mr, Basu ‘sand the Left’s poor showing does seem to reflect a lack. Of awareness more than anything else, this is reflected in the fact that none of those polled saw the Communists as the most corrupt, this dubious dis {inaction being conferred on the Congress by 38% and the BJP and the Samajwadi Janata Party by 15% each.

Article extracted from this publication >>  February 7, 1996