CDA leader Henri Bontenbal is currently by far the most popular choice for prime minister, according to a new poll involving 21,000 members of the RTL readers’ panel.

Some 44% of respondents said Bontenbal, who has been an MP for four years, was a suitable choice for the top job. He was also viewed favourably by voters from Volt, ChristenUnie, D66, GroenLinks-PvdA and the VVD as well as the CDA.

Second in the ranking was VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz, with 27% support, alongside GroenLinks-PvdA chief Frans Timmermans. The poll was conducted before Yesilgöz accused singer Douwe Bob of hating Jews on social media, for which she has been widely criticised.

“Bontenbal is on a roll,” RTL’s political correspondent Fons Lambie said. “He is a new face and the CDA is benefiting from the collapse of the NSC.” The NSC was largely made up of former CDA members but is expected to win one or no seats at the October general election.

Meanwhile, a new opinion poll by Maurice de Hond this weekend suggests the CDA, which has five seats in the current parliament, could be on track to win 21 out of 150 seats in the general election.

That would put the party just ahead of the VVD, but behind GroenLinks-PvdA on 28 and the far-right PVV on 29.

The two main pollsters, Ipsos I&O and Verian/EenVandaag, have not published new polls since the row about Douwe Bob and the chaos surrounding the asylum vote. Bontenbal refused to support the asylum legislation on moral and legal grounds.

The Netherlands will vote for a new lower house of parliament on 29 October, following the collapse of the right-wing coalition after the PVV withdrew.

Only 18% of respondents in the RTL poll considered PVV leader Geert Wilders a good choice for prime minister, slightly less than the party’s current support in the De Hond poll.