Environment, unemployment, tourism to decide Goa election result: Poll

Environmental issues, unemployment, and a decline in tourism are issues that are likely to be focus for the upcoming Goa elections. According to the latest survey by VoteVibe, around 42.9% of the electorate are satisfied with the Goa government, but MLA dissatisfaction is high.

The survey shows the BJP leads in vote share and the likelihood of a win, with Pramod Sawant favoured as the chief minister. About 30% of the voters are yet undecided, making the race competitive.

Environmental degradation (32.5%), unemployment and migration (26.2%), corruption (8.5%), inflation (9.7%) and decline in tourism (6.8%) emerged as the top issues concerning the electorate.

Party ideology and the candidates themselves scored equal weightage at 28.3% and 28.2%, respectively. Pramod Sawant has a clear lead as the chief ministerial candidate (28.8%), but Yuri Alemao from the Congress also finds favour with the electorate 24.5%. BJP with 39.2% vote is seen most likely to win the Goa state elections, as against Congress which has 34.3%. Regional/smaller parties together account for a meaningful around 21% of the vote.

While BJP has retained an edge, dissatisfaction with local MLAs, and a strong agenda for environment, tourism, and employment will tip the scales. The around 30% of voters who are not yet fully decided is the group that both sides will fight over.