New Delhi, Feb 27 (IANS): The incumbent chief ministers of Kerala, Assam and West Bengal are still far ahead in terms of popularity to their nearest challengers for office. In Tamil Nadu the leader of the main opposition party is more favoured for the office of chief minister than the incumbent one. In Puducherry, N Rangaswamy of All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) is the popular choice for the post of chief minister.
In IANS- Cvoter opinion polls, 54.5 per cent respondents said that Mamata Banerjee is the most suitable candidate for the post of chief minister in West Bengal. About 24.6 per cent people believe the BJP West Bengal unit chief Dilip Ghosh is suitable for the post of chief minister. About 39,000 respondents from across West Bengal participated in the poll.
In Kerala, about 38.5 per cent people still believe Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is most suitable for the post. Only 27 per cent believe that former chief minister and Congress leader Oommen Chandy is suitable for the post. Most interestingly, people in Kerala did not find any of the BJP faces suitable for the post of chief minister. Some 8,796 respondents from Kerala participated in the opinion poll.
In Tamil Nadu, about 39.4 per cent respondents said that DMK chief and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly M K Stalin is more suited for the post than chief minister E.K. Palaniswami (32.1 per cent). Only 7.8 per cent respondents found V K Sasikala, close aide of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, suitable for the post of chief minister. About 3.2 per cent people found superstar Rajinikanth suitable for the job. Only 5.3 per cent respondents found Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief and actor Kamal Hassan is suitable for the post of chief minister. About 16,457 respondents from across Tamil Nadu participated in the opinion poll.
In Assam, people still find sitting chief minister Sarbanand Sonowal most suitable for the job with 43.3 percent respondents believing that Sonowal is more suitable than Congress's Gaurav Gogoi (26.4 per cent). About 4,776 respondents from across Assam participated in the opinion poll.
In Puducherry, respondents found Rangaswamy (45.8 percent) more suitable for the chief minister's post than former chief minister V. Narayanasamy (38.2 per cent), who resigned recently after losing majority in the House.