Did RSS internal survey claim BJP would win just 65-70 seats in Karnataka polls 2023? Fake news busted

The fake report claimed that the Congress was winning 115-120 seats.

An internal survey conducted by the RSS showed that the BJP was heading for a crushing defeat in the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections, a fake news doing rounds on social media claimed.

What's in the fake story?
The viral picture claimed that the said news article was published on a daily Kannada Prabha. The BJP had failed to consolidate Ahinda votes which have become the vote bank of Congress. As a result, the saffron party is heading for a defeat in the upcoming poll, the RSS internal survey said, according to the picture doing rounds on the internet.

Fake News Busted
On closely reading the lines, it becomes clear that it was possibly published in the Kannada daily during earlier elections. There is a reference in the post where the story claims that BS Yediyurappa was losing his popularity among his community and his decision to bring Reddy brothers would backfire on him.

This line indicates the story was published during earlier elections as BSY has already announced that he was not contesting elections and Janardhan Reddy has floated his own party.

More importantly, the RSS internal survey stated that the BJP will be reduced to 65-70 seats, while Congress will emerge victorious with 115-120 seats. JDS will bag 29-34 seats.

The daily itself has clarified that it is a fake news.

Responding to the report, Dr Sudhakar K, Minister for Health & Family Welfare and Medical Education, accused Congress of spreading the fake news.

"Seeing the people's support for the BJP across the state, the Congress party, which is in a state of disarray, has decided that a crushing defeat is 'guaranteed' and has resorted to fake news to divert the attention of the people," he tweeted.

However, a recent survey claimed that Congress will emerge victorious by winning 116-122 seats in the 224-member Karnataka assembly. It is predicted to get 39-42 per cent votes. In comparison, the ruling party would emerge victorious in 77-83 seats with a vote share of 33-36 per cent.

Another survey stated that Karnataka was heading for a hung assembly.