The opinion poll, released to the media on Saturday, covered 16,123 voters from 66 parliamentary constituencies in 16 states and Delhi. It was conducted in the first week of May, after the dissolution of the 12th Lok Sabha. The BJP and allies are likely to get 220-232 seats, as compared to 253 in the 1998 polls. The swing of votes, however, is marginally positive for the ruling front--0.9 per cent. The seats and the swing could be more if the Telugu Desam Party becomes an ally.

The Congress and its allies are likely to get 191-203 seats with a positive swing of 5.2 per cent. The Congress-led alliance had 166 members in the 12th Lok Sabha. The Third Front will be the biggest loser. It is likely to get 57-63 seats, as compared to 96 in the last elections. The front will lose 7.4 per cent of votes, says the opinion poll.

Interestingly, though the ruling coalition has notfared much better as compared to the 1998 election results, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's stock has considerably gone up. In 1997, he was the choice of only 27 per cent people.

According to this poll, 43 per cent of people think that he will be the best prime minister. Sonia Gandhi is the choice of 32 per cent respondents.Forty nine per cent of the respondents felt that Vajpayee's performance as prime minister was good. Fifteen per cent people said it was bad, and 27 per cent found it average.

Sixty per cent of the respondents said that the Vajpayee government should have served the full term, though only 37 per cent found the government good.Fifty nine per cent people said the the pulling down of the Vajpayee government was unjustified, and 47 per cent respondents said that they feel more sympathetic towards the government.

The respondents overwhelmingly preferred--with 80 per cent--the single party government over a coalition. Thirty five per cent of the respondents felt that the Congress canprovide a stable government, as compared to 33 per cent for the BJP. However, the BJP-led coalition was preferred by 42 per cent and the Congress-led by 39 per cent respondents.

Thirty five per cent of the respondents felt that the BJP is best placed to solve the country's problems, while 33 per cent found the Congress suitable.Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin is not going cause many problems for her, as 44 per cent of the respondents don't think that this reduces her chances at the race to the top. Thirty six per cent feel that it does reduce her chances, and 6 per cent say, `maybe.'

The most important issue the respondents were concerned about was that of the rising prices, followed by widespread unemployment, political stability and corruption, law and order, religion- and caste-based problems, and national security.

Sixty per cent of the respondents felt that the dissolution of the Lok Sabha was not right.

Regionwise, the BJP and allies are likely to lose seats all over the country except in northIndia, where it may manage to get 89 seats it got in 1998. The Congress and allies are likely to increase their tally in all the regions.

The opinion poll results indicate that the Congress has badly mistimed its moves. Had it managed to pull down the government in December last year, it could have got simple majority in the lower house, its score anywhere between 295 and 305. It could also have got 12.8 per cent more votes.In December 1998, the BJP and allies would have got only 125-135 seats.