Should the pollsters exit?

[icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu]

Elections 2004 seem to have once again proved that the Indian psephologist
has failed to gauge the mood of the voter and catch the undercurrents with
none of the opinion or exit polls showing that the NDA was on its way out
comprehensively. As they dissect their shortcomings a day after the results,
psephologists concede they have to fine-tune their methodology to capture
the nature of alliances and region-specific issues as the Indian polity gets
fractured increasingly. "The Poltical environment has become very dynamic in
view of which the methodology will have to be fine tuned to factor in the
politics of alliances," said Naveen Surapaneni of the Centre for Media
Studies. Compared with most parts of post-Independence years till the late
80's when one party used to come to power against a few opposition parties,
now the polity is fractured and "you don't have a national trend."

Source:
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/001200405141781.htm