Lok Jan Shakti Party is apprehensive about various opinion polls and surveys being telecast by number of channels and published in newspapers. It is both surprising and shocking that that most of these surveys have already announcing Bihar assembly election results while the first round of polling is yet to begin in the state. It is no coincidence that these surveys are giving a huge lead to the JD (U)-BJP alliance over the JD-LJP alliance. Every survey is also projecting Nitish Kumar as the favorite candidate for the next Chief Minister of Bihar.

We feel that these surveys are nothing but a finer version of paid news. We are sure that the Nitish government now being constrained to spend money on media has found a new version of publicity through media surveys. The Nitish government is notoriously famous for spending huge money on the media for its publicity. It may easily resort to this kind of paid news too.

The Nitish government is trying to influence the poll. We also feel that these surveys/opinion polls are being used to prepare ground for rigging the outcome of the on going Bihar elections. Once a favorable result comes, JD (U)-BJP alliance may claim that the surveys had already predicted the outcome of the elections.

The LJP, therefore, demand from the Election Commission to thoroughly and immediately probe financial sources of these surveys. We also demand that the EC must take stern steps to stop all sorts of paid news.

We also appeal to the EC to ensure free and fair poll in Bihar

(Abdul Khaliq)