BJP leaders in race for assembly tickets in MP use online polls to show popularity

Upset with this competitive online polling, a former BJP MLA Dhruv Narayan Singh lodged a complaint with the police, demanding action against what he called ‘fake’ polling.

Published on: Jun 21, 2018, 23:24:31 IST

Hindustan Times, Bhopal | By Shruti Tomar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

With just five months to go for assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, competition has peaked among ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders vying for tickets, and many of them are resorting to local online polls to make their case and project their popularity.

BJP President Amit Shah, flanked by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan (L) and BJP state chief Rakesh Singh being garlanded by party workers in Jabalpur on June 12, 2018. (PTI File Photo)

Supporters of these leaders are organising social media polls by uploading photographs of the contenders and tagging it with a message like “Who is the best possible candidate from X constituency” on their Facebook page and asking people to give their opinion.

Since these opinion polls are invariably posted by supporters of these leaders, the Facebook or WhatsApp groups tend to have predictable comments and praise for the leader and expectedly choicest of criticism for their opponents. All this much to the chagrin of other local leaders.

Upset with this competitive online polling, a former BJP MLA Dhruv Narayan Singh even lodged a complaint with the police, demanding action against what he called ‘fake’ polling.

Singh said, “They don’t even know whether I am going to contest the election or not. They are unnecessarily creating noise. People are posting whatever they want and maligning the image by posting photographs.”

“I objected to this and lodged a complaint against it,” he added.

Shivam Sharma, a poll creator for a constituency of Morena district, said, “Our motive is not to disrespect anyone. We are just trying to test the popularity of the local leaders and social media is an open and transparent way to do it.”

However, citing it as a problem for the party, state BJP president Rakesh Singh has asked party leaders not to indulge in such publicity stunts.

Singh said, “I have asked all the leaders not to overuse social media. Nothing is going to happen by organising such polls. They should concentrate more on ground work than on social media.”

Terming it as an unrest within the party, Madhya Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manak Agrawal said, “There is unrest in the BJP. Its leaders are fighting with each other and this online polling is a result of it.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.