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EVM survey was done by PM’s man: Cong

Congress questions EVM survey over bias and sample size; BJP says it weakens Rahul Gandhi’s claims.

PTI

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Congress questions survey bias; BJP cites voter confidence (PTI)

New Delhi, 2 Jan

Congress leaders on Friday questioned the credibility of a recent survey on voter trust in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in Karnataka, pointing out that it was carried out by an individual associated with the Prime Minister’s Office.

The survey reportedly found that 84.55 per cent of respondents believe elections in India are conducted freely and fairly, while 83.61 per cent expressed trust in EVMs. Confidence in EVMs has risen from 77.9 per cent in 2023 to 83.61 per cent to when the survey was conducted.

The BJP said the survey was proof that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “vote chori” campaign had failed.

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate questioned the impartiality of the survey, which was reportedly conducted by the NGO Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement (GRAAM), founded by Balasubramaniam, who is linked to the Prime Minister's Office.

Shrinate noted that Balasubramaniam had authored a laudatory book on the Prime Minister in 2024, raising concerns about the neutrality of the survey. "The headline claimed that people trust the EVMs and the Election Commission, but the key details within the article were suppressed.

The survey in question was carried out in May 2025, but Rahul Gandhi's expose on alleged vote rigging came only in August 2025. Given the agency's affiliations, how impartial could the survey truly be?"

IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge echoed the charge, noting that the survey, commissioned by the Election Commission through the State Chief Electoral Officer, covered only 50 respondents per Assembly constituency, making it statistically weak and prone to wide sampling errors and selection bias.

Similarly, AICC General Secretary BK Hariprasad and KPCC Media and Communication Chairman Ramesh Babu said in a press release that the sample size was a mere 5,100 people, which does not represent the State’s population.

They said that the findings of the report were selectively highlighted. Points such as the influence of money power and the inducements and misuse of schemes were downplayed.

“This selective projection serves Election Commission of India’s (ECI) image management, not electoral reform,” they said. They added that the survey seemed to be aimed at pleasing the ECI, noting that the questions were about perceptions and not hard facts. -Salar News