Karnataka, Dec 03 : Senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad on Friday strongly criticised a recent survey on voter trust in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in Karnataka, questioning its credibility, transparency, and independence. He alleged that the exercise was conducted by government linked agencies and lacked statistical rigour.
“This survey is commissioned through government-linked agencies, right? It is not an independent constitutional or judicial body,” Hariprasad said, raising doubts over the neutrality of both the commissioning authority and the agency conducting it. He further pointed to Dr. Subramaniam, who conducted the survey, claiming he is associated with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and runs an NGO whose credibility requires verification.
Hariprasad also criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI), asserting that its credibility is at “its lowest ebb” and urging it to operate transparently, impartially, and in consultation with political parties. Linking the timing of the survey to recent political developments, he alleged that the ECI was unsettled by the massive Rahul Gandhi-led protest at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on December 14 and sought to restore its image.
Congress leaders echoed similar concerns. Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge highlighted that the survey, commissioned via the State Chief Electoral Officer, surveyed only 50 respondents per Assembly constituency, making it statistically weak and prone to sampling bias. He further accused the BJP of misrepresenting the survey as a “state government survey.”
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate questioned the impartiality of the Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement (GRAAM), the agency behind the survey, noting its founder’s links to the PMO and authorship of a book praising the Prime Minister.
The controversy erupted after BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla cited a media report claiming that over 84% of respondents expressed confidence in India’s electoral process and more than 83% trusted EVMs