Lok Sabha polls: CSDS survey reveals dip in trust in Election Commission

The decline in the trust in poll body corresponds to doubts over the electronic voting machines and the alleged use of federal agencies by the ruling party for personal vendetta

Indian voters’ trust in the Election Commission of India (EC) has waned since 2019, the CSDS-Lokniti pre-poll survey has shown.

While in the 2019 post-poll survey, more than half of the voters had signalled that they had a great amount of trust in the EC, this time around only 28 per cent of respondents were left with ‘great trust’ on the poll body.

There is a marginal increase in those who have ‘some trust’ in the EC, that’s 30 per cent from the earlier 27 per cent. The percentage of those who ‘don’t have much trust’ or have ‘no trust at all’, has doubled compared with five years ago at 14 per cent and 9 per cent respectively, as opposed to 7 per cent and 5 per cent earlier.

The decline in the Commission’s trust among voters also corresponds to doubts over the electronic voting machines (EVMs). When asked about the likelihood of manipulation of EVMs by the ruling party, 17 per cent of the respondents were of the opinion that it is ‘highly likely’, while 28 per cent believed it is ‘somewhat likely’. Meanwhile, 27 per cent said that EVM manipulation is ‘not likely’. The rest did not respond.

Notably, the Lokniti survey also asked voters about their opinion on the usage of federal agencies against the Opposition by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The respondents were roughly split between those who believed that agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation were being employed for political vendettas and those who argued that these agencies operate within legal boundaries. Around 35 per cent respondents said that the agencies are being used for personal vendettas, while 31 per cent said they are working within the bounds of law. The rest 34 per cent chose not to respond, the survey revealed.

The Lokniti-CSDS Pre-Poll Survey 2024 compiled responses from 10,019 individuals across 19 states. The survey was conducted in 400 polling stations across 100 Assembly Constituencies in 100 Parliamentary Constituencies.