New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Friday criticised Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, saying that he continues to make false claims about the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Poonawalla said a recent survey published by the Congress-led government in Karnataka itself contradicts Gandhi’s claims.

Taking to social media platform X, Poonawalla wrote, “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.”

Citing the survey findings, Poonawalla said that a majority of respondents across all administrative divisions believe elections in India are conducted freely and fairly.

“As many as 84.55 per cent of citizens expressed agreement that elections in India are free and fair,” he said.

He further pointed out that trust in EVMs has also risen.

“The survey found 83.61 per cent of citizens who believed EVMs were trustworthy. In fact, the survey stated that more citizens trusted the EVMs, from 77.9 per cent in 2023 to 83.61 per cent now,” he added.

The survey covered 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 after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

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

The survey was carried out by Mysuru-based research organisation GRAAM (Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement).

These findings may pose a setback for the Congress party, as Rahul Gandhi has been leading the ‘vote chori’ (vote theft) campaign against the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre, alleging manipulation of elections.

Of the total respondents, 56 per cent were women. The survey also reflected mixed opinions on whether women needed to consult male family members or elders before casting their vote. According to the report, 34.57 per cent agreed, and 3.14 per cent strongly agreed with this view, while a larger proportion disagreed (37.86 per cent) or strongly disagreed (13.78 per cent).

–IANS

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