Fact check: Doctored newspaper clipping shared to claim survey predicts INDIA bloc win in 10 states
Viral newspaper clipping showing a 'Dainik Bhaskar' survey that predicts a victory for the INDIA bloc in 10 states has been debunked, with even the media organisation issuing a denial.
The Verdict: Fake
The viral image of the pre-poll survey is fabricated. Dainik Bhaskar has also clarified that it didn’t publish such a report.
What is the claim?
As the 2024 general elections in India approach, numerous media and research organisations have released pre-poll surveys forecasting the victorious parties and candidates across the states. In this context, several users have circulated a newspaper clipping purporting to show a survey by 'Dainik Bhaskar', a Hindi-language daily newspaper in India. The survey allegedly predicts that the INDIA bloc, a coalition of 26 Opposition parties, would triumph in 10 states and that the southern states of India would oust the BJP alliance from power.
The 10 states listed in the clipping are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, and Kerala. The clipping, which resembles the front page of 'Dainik Bhaskar', headlines the survey as “Nielsen Dainik Bhaskar’s mega survey revealed! ‘INDIA’ alliance ready to challenge ‘NDA’ alliance! PM Modi’s influence is expected to fade in BJP-ruled states.” Archived versions of such posts can be accessed here and here.
A Congress member from Hyderabad, Telangana, shared the newspaper clipping on X, writing, “A clear edge to Congress in 10 states. Survey by Dainik Bhaskar-Nelson (sic): The Indian Alliance is in the lead in ten states and has the potential to pass 200 in just these ten. Modi's reputation is insufficient to win the BJP votes, even in the states that make up the Hindi heartland. Washout from Maharashtra, Bengal, and Bihar is being examined by the NDA.”
However, this claim is false. A doctored version of a 'Dainik Bhaskar' newspaper clipping was misrepresented as a genuine survey predicting an Opposition victory in 10 states. The news organisation also clarified that the viral survey was fake.
How did we find the truth?
We observed that the alleged newspaper clipping is dated April 13, 2024, and was published in Bhopal, a city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. We determined the clipping to be fake when we compared it with the original 'Dainik Bhaskar' Bhopal edition published on the same date, April 13.
The comparison showed that the masthead of the viral newspaper clipping is identical to that of the original paper. The dates, edition details, temperature, Sensex, and dollar index are the same in both papers. However, apart from the masthead, all other elements, including the news stories in the viral newspaper clipping, have been altered. The original edition also features a BJP advertisement, which is absent from the viral clipping.
'Dainik Bhaskar' issued a clarification on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the viral clipping is fake and they did not publish any such survey. The organisation further demanded that strict action be taken against the culprits.
'Dainik Bhaskar' recently conducted a pre-poll survey titled “My Vote, My Choice” to gauge voter sentiment. The survey covered 308 constituencies out of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies. Eight lakh people from 13 states and union territories participated in the survey. A key finding of the survey was that 48 percent of people believe Modi should be re-elected as Prime Minister. The newspaper has published multiple reports based on the survey results. However, they did not publish any report suggesting that the INDIA bloc would win in 10 states.
The verdict
A fabricated newspaper clipping was circulated with the false claim that a 'Dainik Bhaskar' survey predicted a victory for the INDIA bloc in 10 states. The news organisation has clarified that they did not publish any such survey. A comparison between the actual edition and the fake clipping revealed several discrepancies, further confirming the clipping's inauthenticity. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.
(This report first appeared on logicallyfacts.com, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.)
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