Karnataka EVM survey lacks credibility, transparency: Congress' BK Hariprasad

Congress questioned the credibility of the agency that conducted the survey, saying it has links with Prime Minister's Office

Senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad on Friday launched a sharp attack on the credibility of a recent survey on voter trust in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in Karnataka, alleging that it was conducted by government-linked agencies and lacked transparency, independence and statistical rigour.

Reacting to the survey findings, Hariprasad questioned both the commissioning authority and the agency that carried out the exercise. "This survey is commissioned through government-linked agencies, right? It is not an independent constitutional or judicial body," he said. He further alleged that the individual who conducted the survey, Dr Subramaniam, is associated with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and runs an NGO whose credibility, he said, needs verification.

Hariprasad also targeted the Election Commission of India (ECI), claiming its credibility has eroded. "The Election Commission is at its lowest ebb in terms of its credibility. If the Election Commission wants to improve or build its image, there should be transparency. They should be impartial and listen to political parties and electoral representatives," he said.

Linking the timing of the survey to recent political developments, the Congress leader alleged that the ECI was "disturbed" by the massive protest led by Rahul Gandhi at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on December 14. "They got jittery by the response of the people. Over a lakh people were there. They have realised that the Election Commission has a very bad name in this process, so they are trying to build up their image," Hariprasad claimed.

Earlier in the day, other Congress leaders echoed similar concerns. Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge alleged that the survey, commissioned through the State Chief Electoral Officer, covered only 50 respondents per Assembly constituency, making it statistically weak and prone to sampling errors and selection bias. He also claimed the BJP was misleadingly projecting it as a "state government survey".

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate questioned the impartiality of the agency, Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement (GRAAM), noting its founder's links to the PMO and his authorship of a laudatory book on the Prime Minister.

The controversy erupted after BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla cited a media report claiming that a survey showed high public trust in India's electoral process, with over 84% of respondents believing elections are free and fair and more than 83% expressing confidence in EVMs.