Fake survey claims 20 state ministers will not win next polls

VIJAYAWADA: The social media platforms and political circles were taken by storm on Friday by a so-called survey of I-PAC (started by poll strategist Prashant Kishor), which predicted that only five ministers in the Jagan-led government have a winning chance in the 2024 assembly polls. The state cabinet has a total of 25 ministers.

The IPAC and the ruling YSRC immediately rejected the news and stressed that this was “totally fake and untrue.” There was no such survey, they have asserted.

I-PAC had worked for YSRC in the 2019 elections and is working for the ruling party for 2024 elections too, helping the party identify the right candidates etc.

The report was published as a banner in a vernacular daily and it went viral on all social media platforms, news portals and web channels. These reports quoted the survey to say that 20 out of 25 ministers were "shivering" as they foresaw defeat in the coming general elections.

The survey, it was claimed in these reports, found that two former ministers --Dharmana Krishndas and Kodali Nani -- have a chance to win the elections and the rest of the ex-ministers would face defeat.

“Only five ministers of the present cabinet have a winning chance. They are Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, SB Amzath Basha, P Viswaroop, Dadisetti Raja and Narayana Swamy – while the others would face defeat,” as per these (fake) claims.

I-PAC director Rishi Raj Singh stressed the reports were baseless. “It’s unfortunate the media is being used to mislead the people. “We condemn the citation of fake surveys and reports in the name of I-PAC for peddling fake news. It is unfortunate how a few media channels in Andhra Pradesh has published baseless articles to misinform the people,” he said.