Karnataka survey reflects strong trust in EVMs, sparks Congress-BJP face-off

A survey conducted in Karnataka on voters’ confidence in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) has triggered a fresh political flashpoint between the Congress and the BJP, prompting the latter to target Rahul Gandhi over his repeated claims questioning the credibility of the electoral process.

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According to the survey titled Evaluation of Endline Survey of KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) of Citizens, 83.61% of respondents said they believed EVMs were trustworthy. Overall, 69.39% of respondents agreed that EVMs provide accurate results, while 14.22% strongly agreed.

BJP cites survey findings

The BJP's state unit chief, BY Vijayendra took to social media platform X to target the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. He posted, "Congress' 'vote chori' stands exposed once again! The survey report published by the Government of Karnataka clearly shows a decisive majority of our people believe elections in India are conducted freely and fairly."

“This is a direct blow to Rahul Gandhi who, unable to accept repeated electoral failures, chose to invent the 'vote chori' narrative and launch a reckless campaign casting doubts on the Election Commission," Vijayendra, ex- BJP Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa's son, said.

Reacting to the findings, the Karnataka Leader of Opposition, R Ashok, posted on X, saying: “For years, Rahul Gandhi has travelled the country telling one story: that India’s democracy is ‘in danger’, that EVMs are ‘untrustworthy’, that our institutions cannot be believed. But Karnataka has just told a very different story.”

Congress distances itself

The Congress, however, rejected any link between its administration and the survey. “This is not sanctioned by the state government," Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge told NDTV.

"Apparently the Election Commission requested the State Election Commission… sought the help of an NGO which is run by Balakrishnan or Balasubramanian who, if I am not mistaken, happens to be the author of a book for the Prime Minister and works with the PM's Office."

"What do you expect?" he asked, and also raised questions about the survey's design and framework. "And what is the data size? 5,000 people in 110+ constituencies or something…"

"What the BJP has to explain is the 'vote chori' in Kalaburagi… in Aland…" he continued, referring to data-backed claims by Rahul Gandhi that “the poll panel and BJP colluded to carry out mass deletion of voters before the 2023 Karnataka and 2024 Lok Sabha elections.”

Survey reveals regional split

The survey covered 5,100 respondents across 102 Assembly constituencies in the administrative divisions of Bengaluru, Belagavi, Kalaburagi and Mysuru.

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Division-wise data showed the highest trust in Kalaburagi, where 83.24% agreed and 11.24% strongly agreed that EVMs are reliable. Mysuru followed with 70.67% agreeing and 17.92% strongly agreeing. In Belagavi, 63.90% agreed and 21.43% strongly agreed. Bengaluru division recorded the lowest strong agreement at 9.28%, though 63.67% still agreed. Neutral opinions were highest in Bengaluru at 15.67%, significantly more than in the other divisions.