54% Facebook users support BJP to rule Gujarat, as against 41% favouring Congress in a unique social media poll

By A Representative
Amidst Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to make a powerful political impact across India by withdrawing Rs 500 and 1000 notes, ostensibly to fight black money, one Parthesh Patel undertook an interesting Facebook poll, revealing that 54.48% social media users continue to want BJP to rule Gujarat.
On the other hand, the poll shows, 40.98% Facebook users want Congress to rule Gujarat, while just about 4.54% want Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to rule the state.
Calling himself to be a “political observer”, Patel says, the Facebook live reactions poll was “an experiment” he had undertaken in order to figure out how many Facebook users would support which party in case the elections happened today.
The poll was conducted for three major parties only – Congress, BJP and AAP. The Facebook poll, says Patel, was held to ascertain how the youth would politically react during an election in Gujarat.
Calling “the results and response” were of immense significance, Patel says, “The Facebook live poll lasted for four hours continuously, where each reaction was counted as vote.”
“The Facebook live poll’s reach was over 20 lakh users”, claims Patel, adding, “Out of 20 lakh users, the poll was viewed by over 4,00,000 users, of whom 54,241 cast their votes.”
According to Patel, the poll got shared by over 2,900 people, with more than 50,000 commenting on what they thought of the current political situation.
The Facebook “survey” showed that, in all, the BJP polled 29,549 votes, Congress 22,225 votes and AAP 2,467 votes.

Interpreting the poll, Patel says, while it is true that the BJP “is connected with the youth”, as is clear from the fact that it got majority of the votes, the fact remains that educated urban people – who cast their votes – consist of BJP and AAP votebank.
The youths among them, adds Patel, are particularly active on social media platforms.
On the other hand, says Patel, “the Congress is mainly connected with rural and tribal areas, where people aren’t well aware about the social media platforms.”
Given this framework, indicates Patel, the very fact that about 41% of the social media users, all of them from the urban areas, supported Congress suggests that the party is showing up.
“The result indicates the BJP would lead the governance of Gujarat, but on other hand it can’t be ignored that the Congress still has major chance to lead governance this time in the year 2017, compared to their performance in previous elections of 2007 and 2012”, Patel predicts.
Gujarat assembly polls are scheduled for December 2017. The Congress has been receiving around one-third of the total assembly seats, 182, not just in 2007 and 2012 elections, but earlier polls too held during the two decades.

Parthesh Patel

Says Patel, these results have come not just against the backdrop of “the shocking move” of Narendra Modi’s government at the centre of not just demonetization but also surgical strike on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The results, he adds, show that “the BJP has positive as well as negative impact for the coming elections in different states.”

Comments

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup* I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.

Civil society flags widespread violations of land acquisition Act before Parliamentary panel

By Jag Jivan Civil society organisations and stakeholders from across India have presented stark evidence before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj , alleging systemic violations of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013 , particularly in Scheduled Areas and tribal regions.

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.

Dr. Ram Bux Singh: Biogas pioneer’s legacy gains urgency amid energy crisis

By A Representative In an era defined by a global energy crisis and a desperate search for sustainable solutions, the visionary work of an Indian scientist from the mid-20th century is finding renewed, urgent relevance. Dr. Ram Bux Singh , a pioneering figure in biogas and renewable energy , is being posthumously honored by the Government of India, even as his decades-old innovations provide a blueprint for today’s challenges.

Alarming decline in India's repair culture threatens circular economy goals: Study

By Jag Jivan A comprehensive new study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link has painted a worrying picture of India's fading repair culture, warning that the trend towards replacement over repair is accelerating the country's already critical e-waste crisis.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Protesters in UK cities voice concerns over alleged developments in Bastar region

By A Representative Demonstrations were held across several cities in the United Kingdom on March 28, as groups and activists gathered to protest what they described as state actions in India under the reported “Operation Kagar.”

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

Search This Blog