New Delhi, Jan 2 (NationPress) BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla criticized the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for perpetuating what he termed false assertions regarding the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Poonawalla highlighted a recent survey released by the Congress-led Karnataka government that contradicts Gandhi's statements.

On the social media platform X, Poonawalla stated, “Rahul Gandhi continues to mislead the public about the ECI and EVMs, but here is a fact check from his own government in Karnataka. A majority of citizens believe that elections in India are conducted in a free and fair manner, and trust in electronic voting machines has increased, according to a statewide survey published by the Congress government in Karnataka.”

Referencing the survey results, Poonawalla noted that most respondents across various administrative divisions have confidence in the integrity of elections in India.

“An impressive 84.55% of citizens agreed that elections in India are free and fair,” he remarked.

Additionally, he pointed out the growing trust in EVMs.

“The survey revealed that 83.61% of citizens view EVMs as trustworthy, marking an increase from 77.9% in 2023 to 83.61% now,” he added.

The survey included 5,100 respondents across 102 Assembly constituencies in the administrative divisions of Bengaluru, Belagavi, Kalaburagi, and Mysuru. It was commissioned by Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbukumar and conducted post the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

This study was an endline survey assessing the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) of citizens regarding the electoral process. Its results were published by the Karnataka Monitoring and Evaluation Authority under the Department of Planning, Programme Monitoring, and Statistics.

The survey was executed by the Mysuru-based research organization GRAAM (Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement).

These findings may present a challenge for the Congress party, as Rahul Gandhi has spearheaded the ‘vote chori’ (vote theft) campaign against the Narendra Modi-led NDA government, alleging electoral manipulation.

Among the respondents, 56% were women. The survey also revealed mixed sentiments regarding whether women should consult male family members or elders before voting. According to the report, 34.57% agreed and 3.14% strongly agreed with this notion, while a larger percentage disagreed (37.86%) or strongly disagreed (13.78%).