On August 17, The Hindu published a headline screaming that Indians are losing “trust” in the Election Commission. But what the newspaper deliberately concealed behind its sensationalism was a grossly flawed survey design and methodology that make its sweeping claims completely baseless.
The survey behind the headline wasn’t pan-India. It covered only six states—Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi—with 500 respondents per state. Assam and UP were given equal weightage, despite huge differences in population and demographics. These limitations were hidden in fine print, while the headline loudly claimed a nationwide truth. And the paper expected readers to take it at face value.
Far from a nationwide study, the survey covered only six states—Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi—with a limited sample size of 500 respondents per state. Assam and Uttar Pradesh were bizarrely given equal weight despite their vastly different populations, fatally compromising the results. The paper failed to disclose these critical limitations in its headlines or reporting, misleading millions of readers about the survey’s true scope.
The Hindu also ignored the religious makeup of these states, four of which have significant Muslim populations, a key factor that was nowhere acknowledged or analyzed. It did not question why these six states were chosen or scrutinize the sample design and weighting that remain undisclosed behind closed doors.
Even more damningly, The Hindu deliberately overlooked glaring contradictions in its own sourced data: while over 97% respondents in Assam and West Bengal reportedly have the necessary documentation for voting, 45% still fear “vote cutting.” This disparity was not investigated but instead presented uncritically as unquestioned truth.
On the very day The Hindu published this misleading story, Rahul Gandhi launched his Bihar Yatra with claims of “vote chori” (vote theft), leveraging the badly reported survey to fan political flames. The Hindu’s reckless amplification of the agenda without demanding transparency or verifying facts makes it complicit in spreading misinformation.
By failing its readers in this manner, The Hindu not only betrayed journalistic standards but encouraged distrust in democratic institutions without any credible basis. This is a shameful exhibition of irresponsible journalism, reducing a respected paper to a conveyor belt for unchecked narratives.
The Hindu owes its readers an explanation for why it amplified unverified claims from a flawed survey and chose to ignore critical context that would have told a very different story.
Dilip Mandal has sharply criticized The Hindu for irresponsibly reporting on the Lokniti-CSDS survey that claimed a loss of trust in the Election Commission. He pointed out the paper’s failure to highlight the survey’s limited scope, flawed methodology, and ignored contradictions in the data. Mandal condemned the newspaper for amplifying unverified claims without scrutiny, misleading readers, and fueling political narratives without demanding transparency from the survey agency. His critique highlights a severe lapse in journalistic standards and calls attention to media accountability in the face of politicized data.
Dear Editors of The Hindu,
Say sorry to your readers.
On the morning of August 17, you @the_hindu published survey findings of @LoknitiCSDS with a screaming headline claiming that Indians are losing “trust” in the Election Commission.
This may be a coincidence, but an… pic.twitter.com/ofTKmrnZxV
— Dilip Mandal (@Profdilipmandal) August 23, 2025
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