Who is responsible for Ram Mandir donation theft? UP survey reveals voters' view

Voters in Uttar Pradesh remain largely divided on whom to blame for the donation theft at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, with nearly a third of them holding trust officials responsible, according to News18's mega UP survey. Notably, almost a quarter of the respondents said that all stakeholders are to be blamed, including trust officials, staff and contractors as well as the state government. According to the News18 UP Mega Survey, released on Friday, 31.2% of respondents identified temple trust officials as responsible for the donation theft. Another 20.6% blamed staff and contractors who handled the cash, while 13.7% held the state government responsible for weak oversight. A further 24.6% said all the stakeholders were responsible, while 9.9% said they did not know or could not say. What Opposition supporters say? The survey also revealed differences in perceptions across political affiliations. Among respondents supporting the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), 39.8% blamed temple trust officials, compared with 14.5% among supporters of the Samajwadi Party and Congress and 14.1% among BSP supporters. Supporters of the opposition alliance were more likely to point to the state government's oversight. Among SP-Congress alliance supporters, 26.8% blamed the state government, compared with 7.8% of BJP-NDA supporters. The corresponding figure among BSP supporters was 24.3%. The perception that all stakeholders shared responsibility was also more pronounced among opposition supporters. While 19.2% of BJP-NDA supporters chose this response, the figure stood at 32.5% among SP-Congress alliance supporters and 38.9% among BSP supporters. Among respondents identifying with other parties, 70.9% held all stakeholders responsible. Overall, the state government was less frequently identified as solely responsible than the temple trust officials or the staff and contractors handling cash. However, the survey found that direct attribution to the state government was higher in North-East Uttar Pradesh, at 21.2%. Younger respondents were also more likely to hold all stakeholders responsible. 2027 UP polls The findings come ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled for January-February 2027. The BJP government has been in power in the state for two consecutive terms. The News18 UP Mega Survey assessed public opinion on the state government's performance on key governance and development parameters, alongside perceptions of issues including student protests and the Ram Mandir donations controversy. The survey covered 30,925 respondents across all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh, with the sample distributed in proportion to district populations and including both rural and urban areas. Respondents aged 18 and above were interviewed face-to-face through a door-to-door survey using Computer Aided Personal Interviews (CAPI). What happened in 2022 polls? The 2022 Assembly election was widely seen as a referendum on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's government, with the BJP seeking a second consecutive term amid debates over governance, welfare delivery, law and order and the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The BJP won 255 of the 403 Assembly seats. The Ram Mandir was a significant political and ideological issue for the BJP, which had long campaigned for the temple's construction.