A survey and several denials: BJP, Congress spar over public opinion

The Gujarat Assembly polls have led to a different kind of politics in the state, and elsewhere, wherein the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress are leaving no stone unturned in proving to each other that they hold the supremacy in the state, and outside.

To this end, one Rohan Gupta, apparently the national media coordinator of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), took to Twitter - his display pictures reek of his closeness to the party vice president, Rahul Gandhi - to proclaim how Congress was slated to win the first phase of the state assembly polls.

In a post that shouted 'The first round goes in favour of Congress', bar graphs (marked in Gujarati) showed Congress winning 65 per cent of the seats and the BJP (a meagre) 22 per cent.

"BJP's frustration is understandable, but our poll reflects the sentiment of the people. No matter how much BJP tries, they can't change the reality on ground. The people of Gujarat have decided in favor of Congress and it's the writing on the wall!" Gupta tweeted.

The complexity of the otherwise simple survey could not, however, evade one of the BJP leaders, Suresh Nakhua, who slammed it, citing it was conducted by few Congressmen in a bid to tip the audience's opinion in its favour and that it did not hold any authentication.

He took to the micro-blogging site and posted a series of tweets: "Now who is this @rohanrgupta ? His Bio gives an idea."

Nakhua then happened to notice that the name of the site that claims to have carried out this survey, chanakyaindia.in, seemed similar to another public opinion polling company 'Today's Chanakya'.

The website carries a different picture as the data show the survey to have been conducted online, with no apparent authentication of the votes one can put and no scientific selection of samples either.

He tweeted, "What struck me was the name of website - chanakyaindia.in which is quite similar to @TodaysChanakya So I visited the site. The site holds exit poll on internet. Wah Bhai Wah.#ConFakePollExposed"

Rohan Gupta was, however, quick to furnish an explanation that led to more eyebrows raising than settling the equation.

"Gujarat Congress IT Cell has conducted online poll through portal chanakyaindia.in. our online poll has nothing to do with @TodaysChanakya"

"The poll is participated by more than 1.10 lakh people online and represents the voice of people . It's understandably very difficult for BJP to accept ground reality"

The Twitter war, now, seems far from being over as the BJP and Congress continue to hurl allegations at each other. While the BJP claims the "fake" survey was conducted by the Congress stooges, the grand old party has been attacking the ruling party over "lack" of education, employment opportunities, development and prosperity in Gujarat, and the country.

-ANI