YSR Congress complaint against Prashant Kishor, journalist Ravi Prakash for airing opinion poll

The YSR Congress yesterday filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India seeking criminal action against political consultant Prashant Kishor and RTV journalist Ravi Prakash.

Kishor, who is the co-founder of I-PAC, and Prakash are accused of telecasting opinion polls on the Andhra Pradesh assembly and parliamentary elections a day before the state voted on May 13. Election-related content cannot be aired or published in the ‘silent period’ that is in effect 48 hours before polling.

RTV is a Telugu digital website founded by Prakash. On May 12, Prakash interviewed Kishor, during which the latter predicted that the governing YSR Congress would lose the polls while the channel showed projections of potential results. 

Kishor also said Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party would win only 51 assembly seats out of the total of 175. RTV predicted that the YSR Congress would win 67 while the Telugu Desam Party and BJP alliance would win 106. Similarly, they predicted that out of 25 Lok Sabha seats, the TDP would win 15 and the YSR Congress only eight.

In a letter to the Election Commission, the YSR Congress alleged the contents of the show aimed to influence voters just a day before polling.

“...The interview between its anchor Mr Ravi Prakash and Mr Prashant Kishor is ostensibly in the nature of genuine news item but is for the sole purpose of influencing the voters at the crucial time of the ensuing elections as the polling date is approaching,” it said. It also said the telecast was in “blatant violation” of Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act. 

As per section 126 of the act, during the silent period, no person shall “display to the public any election matter by means of cinematograph, television or other similar apparatus” or “propagate any election matter to the public by holding, or by arranging the holding of, any musical concert or any theatrical performance or any other entertainment or amusement with a view to attracting the members of the public thereto” in “any polling area during the period of forty-eight hours ending with the hour fixed for the conclusion of the poll for any election in that polling area”.

As per section 126A, no person shall “conduct any exit poll and publish or publicise by means of the print or electronic media or disseminate in any other manner, whatsoever, the result of any exit poll during such period, as may be notified by the Election Commission in this regard”.

The party also said Kishor had a “malafide intention” against Chief Minister Reddy and expressed such intentions through the interview.

“In the said interview, Mr Prashant Kishor has intentionally shared the opinion about the results in AP elections and expressing his anguish and wrath on YSRCP in the manner as if his views are in favour of main opposition party i.e., the Telugu Desam Party,” the letter said.

The YSR Congress also said Kishor expressing such opinions on May 12 was part of a “criminal conspiracy” by TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu. It said Prakash had deliberately asked Kishor leading questions in order to instigate him to make such statements against the party and Reddy.

This report was republished from The News Minute as part of The News Minute-Newslaundry alliance. It has been lightly edited for style and clarity.