•While the INLD has gained marginally, the gap between the party and the Congress remains large as long as the INLD and the BJP are separate

•The BJP has registered no gains

•The BSP has made major gains in the last one year, particularly among Dalits

JHARKHAND

Edge for united UPA

•Satisfaction with the state Government fell sharply between January and August 2006, but has stabilised since. During this period, the Congress and the BJP made gains at the cost of the JMM

•Since the release of Shibu Soren, the JMM has recovered much of its lost ground, especially among the adivasis. The BJP has not lost much despite internal divisions

•If the JMM and the Congress stay together, they are clearly ahead of the NDA

KARNATAKA

BJP falls short of Cong

•The level of satisfaction with the state Government has risen steadily since January 2006 across different sections of society

•In the context of a Lok Sabha election, the BJP has gained between January 2006 and September 2007, especially by eating into the Dalit vote base of the Congress. But the Congress has stabilised since January this year and is likely to do better than the BJP in a Lok Sabha elections. The JD(S) would be a poor third

•But in a Vidhan Sabha election, the JD(S) would be a close second behind the Congress. The fortunes of the JD(S) have been fluctuating

... contd.