Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (DC)
Bengaluru, May 8: The BBC News has dubbed a recent survey on Karnataka assembly polls by Janta Ki Baat with a BBC Logo as fake and clarified that it does not commission pre-election surveys in India.
It may be recalled that several social media users pointed out that a survey on assembly polls was widely circulated on Whats App. The opinion poll conducted by Janta Ki Baat with the logo of BBC News attached to it showed that the BJP is set to win with clear majority. The survey predicted 135 seats for the BJP, 45 for JD(S) and 35 for the Congress.
However, the BBC itself clarified that it was fake and they did not commission any survey on Karnataka polls. "A fake survey on Karnataka polls has been circulating on Whats App and claims to be from BBC News. We'd like to make absolutely clear that it's a #fake and does not come from the BBC. The BBC does not commission pre-election surveys in India," BBC tweeted.
Even chief minister Siddaramaiah tweeted that the survey was fake and blamed the BJP for it. "Now fake surveys are being sent on WhatsApp groups under the name of BBC. When real victory is eluding them, fake news is being used to enthuse supporters. Sign of desperation in BJP?," he tweeted.
Even the fact check on the said survey reveals that there was no such organization called Janta Ki Baat and the logo of the BBC was added to lend credibility. Even the numbers of seats mentioned in the poll are wrong. Karnataka has 224 elected seats in the assembly but the numbers shown in the survey add up to 234 (135+45+35+19)
The recent surveys by Times Now-VMR, ABP-CSDS and India Today-Karvy have predicted a hung assembly whereas according to a poll by C Fore, Congress will retain Karnataka with 118-128 seats.