Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Exit polls

Now that the victory of the DMK-led alliance appears to be more or less certain ( The Hindu -CNN-IBN exit poll, May 9), the front should reflect on the long-term future of Tamil Nadu. It is about time the internecine feud between the two Dravidian parties that has sapped so much of political, intellectual and economic energy over three decades came to an end. The State could have been in the forefront of equitable economic growth but for this longstanding bitter rivalry. I hope the victorious alliance will extend a hand of friendship and the vanquished will overcome its hurt and come forward to join the task ahead.

G. Shanker,
Chennai

It is typical of the people of Tamil Nadu to vote for the two main parties alternatively. They always seem to entertain the false hope that a new government will serve them better. There may be a pressing need for new political equations that comply with the aspirations of the people of the State. The five-year affair has become too predictable and made both the major political parties complacent, as they know they will be heading at least one government in five years.

Yugal Joshi,
New Delhi

It will not be right to attribute the DMK's performance solely to the offer of freebies. The manner in which the AIADMK handled the strike by government employees and the Sankaracharya case, corruption charges against Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and the DMK's electoral tie-up with the Congress, among other possible factors, have probably influenced the elections.

While the counting will tell us whether the exit poll projections were right or wrong, the factors that influenced the electorate's voting behaviour will always remain a matter of conjecture.

K. Vijayakumar,
Bangalore

The results clearly indicate the following: The Election Commission and the police have done a commendable job, hence the increased percentage of votes polled; the people of the State are eager to grab more freebies; performance of the previous government does not seem to be a priority; and the State is dangerously headed for a huge caste divide.

S. Raghothaman,
Chennai

I totally disagree with the findings of the exit poll. Time and again elections in Tamil Nadu have produced unexpected results. As a matter of fact, such analyses have always been inconsistent. It is the people who decide the fate of leaders and their choice remains unknown until the results are actually out.

S. Gokul,
Chennai

A sample size of 11,394 is woefully small considering the highly heterogeneous population of Tamil Nadu. You have the urban-rural divide, educated and uneducated, employed and unemployed, a large segment of agriculturists, caste preferences, those affected by the tsunami/floods and those not affected, etc. Any student of statistics will vouch that the sample size is too inadequate in these circumstances.

Even if the DMK front wins the elections, it will not be because of the factors stated in the survey; it will be due to other factors.

K.V. Sundaravadanan,
Chennai

If a simple and pure prediction of election outcome is made, it is derided as baseless astrology. But when it is coupled with some unproved statistics, it becomes a scientific prediction. We wait with bated breath to confirm the predictions of scientific astrology.

N. Chandrasekaran,
Chennai

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