Fact Check: RSS did not conduct any exit poll survey that predicted YSRCP’s victory
The 2024 general elections are near completion as almost 6 phases of voting are over and the final and seventh phase will take place on June 1, 2024. Overall, 63.4 per cent voter turnout has been reported in the Lok Sabha 6th phase election held on May 25, 2024.
Claim :
RSS conducted an exit poll survey that predicted the victory of YSRCP in AP Assembly electionsFact :
RSS did not conduct any such exit poll survey, the image in circulation is fake
The 2024 general elections are near completion as almost 6 phases of voting are over and the final and seventh phase will take place on June 1, 2024. Overall, 63.4 per cent voter turnout has been reported in the Lok Sabha 6th phase election held on May 25, 2024.
The Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections were conducted in Andhra Pradesh on May 13, 2024. A total of 175 Legislative Assembly members and 25 MPs will be elected in these elections. Votes will be counted and results will be declared on June 4, 2024.
Meanwhile, an image that looks like a poll survey, on the letterhead of RSS, is in circulation with the claim that the Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has conducted an exit poll survey that shows the upper hand of the YSRC party in the elections. The caption shared along with the image also claims that the organization has published the exit poll results on its website. It also claims that YSRCP will win 159 seats with 57.1% of votes and the TDP alliance will win 16 seats with 40% of votes.
The text shared in Telugu goes as “బిజెపి మాతృ సంస్థ, బిజెపి ఆత్మ RSS తొలిసారిగా ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ రాష్ట్ర ఎన్నికల ఎగ్జిట్ పోల్స్ ను రిలీజ్ చేసింది. మునిపెన్నడు ఎగ్జిట్ పోల్స్ ను సర్వే చేయించిన ఈ సంస్థ. తొలిసారిగా ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ ఎన్నికలపై ఎగ్జిట్ పోల్ ను తమ ఆఫీసియల్ వెబ్సైట్లో రిలీజ్ చేయటం విశేషం. 57.1 శాతం ఓట్లతో వైసీపీ - 159
టీడీపీ కూటమి - 40.07 శాతం ఓట్లతో - 16 సీట్లు”
The text on the image that looks like RSS letterhead is ‘
గౌరవనీయులైన,
శ్రీ బర్ల సుందర్ రెడ్డి గారు తెలంగాణ ప్రాంత సంఘ్ చాలక్ రాష్ట్రీయ స్వయం సేవక్ సంఘ్
విషయం - ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ అసెంబ్లీ ఎన్నికల సంబంధించిన అంతర్గత సర్వే
ఆర్ ఎస్ ఎస్ కార్యకర్తలతో మరియు వాలంటీర్లతో దీర్ఘంగా చర్చించిన తర్వాత. ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ ఎన్నికల అంతర్గత సర్వే 2024 ని విడుదల చేస్తున్నాం. ఈ సర్వే తేదీ ఏప్రిల్ 25 నుండి మే 5 వరకు జరిగింది. ఈ సర్వే క్రింది వివరాలను నూరు శాతం సూచిస్తుంది...
It then gives the survey results and then adds on to say:
“ముఖ్యమైన అంశాలు
రకార్డు స్థాయిలో ఓటు వేయడానికి వస్తున్నా గ్రామీణ ప్రాంత మహిళ ఓటర్లు, ఇప్పటివరకు జరిగిన పోలింగ్ లో 82 % నమోదు చేసి వైఎస్ఆర్సీపీకి మొగ్గు చూపుతున్న మహిళా ఓటర్లు వైఎస్ఆర్ కాంగ్రెస్ పార్టీకి పెద్ద ఎత్తున ఉపయోగపడుతున్న వాలంటీర్ వ్యవస్థ
అమ్మఒడి, ఆసరా, చేయూత, ఈబీసీ నేస్తం తదితర పథకాల ప్రయోజనాలు పొందిన మహిళా ఓటర్లు
పెద్ద ఎత్తున వైయస్సార్సీపీకి ఓట్లు వేసేందుకు తరలి వస్తున్నారు.
పొత్తు వల్ల బీజేపీకి ఓటు శాతం తగ్గుదల
• సంక్షేమ పథకాల కారణంగా భారీగా వైయస్సార్సీపీకి పడుతున్న ఎస్సీ, ఎస్టీ, ఓబీసీ వర్గాల ఓట్లు
సుందర్ రెడ్డి”
When translated, the letter claims “Respected,
Shri Barla Sundar Reddy Garu, Telangana Region Sangh Chalak Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh
Subject - Internal Survey of Andhra Pradesh Assembly Elections
After long discussions with RSS workers and volunteers, we are releasing the Andhra Pradesh Election Internal Survey 2024. The survey was conducted from April 25 to May 5. This survey covers the following details 100%…”
It then gives the survey results and then adds on to say:
“Important points
Rural women voters are coming to vote at a record level, 82% of women voters have registered in the polling so far and are favoring YSRCP.
Women voters who have benefited from schemes such as Amma Odi, Asara, Cheyutha, ABC Nestham etc
They are flocking to vote for YSRCP in large numbers.
Due to the alliance, the BJP's vote share has decreased
• Votes of SC, ST and OBC communities are falling heavily to YSRCP due to welfare schemes
Sundar Reddy”
Fact check:
The claim is False. The Hindu Nationalist organization RSS did not conduct any exit poll survey in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
When we searched the website of RSS, we did not find any information on the site related to Lok Sabha or Assembly elections.
Nor do their social media pages contain any such information
When observed carefully, we found that the letter is addressed to Barla Sundar Reddy, Telangana Local Sangh Chalak, and also signed by Barla Sundar Reddy.
Upon further research, we found an article published on moneycontrol.com, which states that RSS does not conduct any election surveys. And it has not conducted any poll surveys this time also as it has never done so in the past. This article was published on May 7, 2024. This article was published when rumors claiming that the BJP party would fail to win the Lok Sabha elections were prevalent on social media.
A similar claim was in circulation during the Munugode bypoll that was conducted in November 2022. Claim that RSS conducted an internal survey during the bypoll was rampant. However, the organization condemned the claims stating that Sangh did not conduct any such survey. The statement added that RSS is a voluntary organization that has been working for the last 97 years with the primary aim of nation-building through individual character-building. The RSS, as an institution, participates neither in politics nor does it conduct political surveys.
Therefore, the claim that RSS published an exit poll report on the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections is false. The organisation does not conduct any such polls. The letter is a forged one to mislead people.
