Titled ‘Lok Sabha Elections 2024 – Evaluation of endline survey of KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) of Citizens’, the exercise was conducted by the Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement, Bengaluru, an NGO, under supervision from the Karnataka Monitoring and Evaluation Authority, Department of Planning, Programme Monitoring and Statistics, Government of Karnataka.
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An election-related survey has triggered a political slugfest in Karnataka, where the Congress party is in power.
A survey commissioned by the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, V Anbukumar, on behalf of the State Election Commission, found that a majority of voters in the state believe elections conducted in India are largely free and fair. The survey further found that voter trust in electronic voting machines (EVMs) has increased.
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A total of 5,100 respondents participated in the survey, which was carried out in 102 Assembly segments spread across 34 districts in four administrative divisions of Bengaluru, Belagavi, Kalaburagi and Mysuru.
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Titled ‘Lok Sabha Elections 2024 – Evaluation of endline survey of KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) of Citizens’, the exercise was conducted by the Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement, Bengaluru, an NGO, under supervision from the Karnataka Monitoring and Evaluation Authority, Department of Planning, Programme Monitoring and Statistics, Government of Karnataka.
The survey consisted of structured questionnaires, 23 in-depth interviews, 57 focus group discussions, and 16 booth-level case studies.
According to the findings, 85.31 per cent of those surveyed had awareness of the voter list. Further, there was a high level of EPIC (Voter ID card) possession at 99.02 per cent, while as many as 98.18 per cent of respondents said they were included in the voter list.
Importantly, more than 81.39 per cent of the respondents said they recognised the importance of each vote, while 83.61 per cent exhibited their trust in the electoral process and EVMs.
“Rural voters generally perceive the election process as fair due to effective BLO engagement at the grassroots. Urban youth, however, express concerns about elite dominance in electoral processes and lack of transparency in the voting process; apathy is thus evident among urban youth,” the findings stated, as per a report by news agency IANS. “Concerns over inducements and the influence of money and muscle power remained, especially in regions like Kalaburagi,” it added.
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The survey, coming on the back of large-scale electoral fraud allegations levelled by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, has been rejected by the ruling party in the state. The Congress government said it had not sanctioned the survey.
Priyank Kharge, the state Minister for RDPR, IT and BT, raised doubts over the agency which conducted the survey and alleged the Election Commission of India asked the State Election Commission to do the survey, which then employed an NGO “run by an author of a book on the Prime Minister who also works closely with the PM’s Office”.
“What could be expected from this survey? The data size is 5,000 people in more than 100 constituencies. The BJP is answerable for voter fraud that was reported from Kalaburagi’s Aland Assembly segment,” Kharge said.
He reiterated Rahul Gandhi’s earlier claims that the poll panel colluded with the BJP to carry out mass deletion of votes before the 2023 Assembly elections and the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 in Karnataka.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah too defended Rahul Gandhi and said the Congress leader never said a lie. “He conducted an enquiry thoroughly and addressed the press,” the CM stated.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate, like Priyank Kharge, expressed doubts over the agency which conducted the survey and alleged suppression of facts in the matter.
“The headline claimed that people trust the EVMs and the Election Commission, but the news within the article was suppressed. The survey was conducted by the NGO Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement (GRAAM), founded by Balasubramaniam, who is part of the Prime Minister’s Office. In 2024, he authored a sycophantic book lauding the Prime Minister’s leadership. Given this background, what kind of impartial survey could he conduct? The agency conducting the survey is itself compromised,” Shrinate said.
The BJP, however, sought to use the survey findings to hit out at the Congress as well as Rahul Gandhi. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed Rahul continues to level false allegations against the ECI and EVMs.
Poonawalla wrote on X, “Rahul Gandhi keeps lying about ECI and EVMs but here is a fact check by his own government in Karnataka. Most citizens believe elections in India are free and fair, while trust in the electronic voting machines (EVM) has increased, according to a Statewide survey whose findings have been published by the Congress government in Karnataka.”
Another BJP leader, MP Lahar Singh Siroya said the people know when they cast votes to choose their leader.
“We have been saying all along that the people of the country have faith in the EVMs and in the election results. When people elect their MPs, MLAs, or corporation candidates, they know who they have voted for. That’s why people are satisfied with the results across the country. I don’t understand why these surveys and all are necessary. Leaders who are in touch with the people on the ground should know what the public wants,” Siroya said.
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