The NRI survey compared the vision of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister with those of the former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuann Yew and the Emir of UAE Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who were responsible for ushering in new earas in their countries.

The NRI team led by Dr Pon Mohaideen Pitchai, who is based in Dubai, had selected Jayalalithaa from a college of 10 candidates, including the Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Gujarat Chief Minster Narendra Modi, for Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad, Former UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former UP Chief Minister Mayawati and others.

Dr Pitchai is a senior HR and management advisor based in Dubai.

The survey gave 53 points to Rahul Gandhi as against 81 points to Narendra Modi led NDA alliance. But considering Jayalalithaa leading the NDA alliance or the Third Front, the survey gave 86 points. The survey considered leadership experience and skills, national outlook, mass support base, global network, party influence, perfectionism, faith in secular democracy and the ability to came a turnaround in economy and education.

The survey was conducted by interviews through e-mails and telephone, mostly with NRIs based in Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait, Australia, Canada, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand.