Fact Check: Did BBC conduct a pre-poll survey of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections?

Hyderabad: A pre-poll survey allegedly created by the British public service broadcaster BBC is being shared on social media. The ‘survey’ predicts a majority win for the Opposition’s INDIA alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

“Survey by BBC for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 (Translated from Hindi),” wrote a Facebook user who shared a YouTube link titled ‘INDIA alliance very close to majority | the most reliable survey for 543 Lok Sabha seats (translated from Hindi)’. (Archive)

Another Facebook user shared a screenshot of what looks like the cover image of a YouTube video with the same title. The text on the screenshot reads ‘BBC’s survey of Lok Sabha elections’. A ‘BBC India’ logo is also present on the screenshot. The screenshot also features an image of TV journalist Ravish Kumar.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false as BBC has not conducted any such survey on Lok Sabha elections.

We found that the YouTube video link shared by the Facebook user is no longer accessible, as it has been removed for ‘infringing on trademark rights.’

We searched for the purported BBC survey on Lok Sabha elections but couldn't find any. We also couldn't find any BBC pre-poll survey on Ravish Kumar's YouTube channel.

Then we conducted a keyword search that led us to a report on the BBC Hindi website titled ‘What is the truth about viral survey in the name of BBC?’

In the report, BBC clarified that they do not conduct any form of election surveys. The report stated, “BBC would like to clarify once again that it does not conduct any kind of election survey. We confirm that this is fake news being spread in the name of BBC.”

The report also added, “BBC has been making it clear on every occasion that it does not conduct any kind of ‘pre-election survey’, ‘opinion poll’ or ‘exit poll’ regarding the elections and this time also no such survey was conducted.”

We also found a post from Rupa Jha on X, CEO and co-founder of Collective Newsroom, the publisher of BBC News Indian Language, who also denied the fake survey. She wrote, “This is Fake News. BBC has not done any such survey. It never does.”

Hence, we conclude that the viral pre-poll survey by BBC is fake. The claim is false.