Indian Political Democratic Strategies or IPDS, is an organisation that conducts political/election surveys around elections for individual candidates and political parties among other services they provide.
The organisation has been around since 2004 and has so far released about 46-48 surveys on electoral opinion polls.
The IPDS was supposed to release a survey result for the Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency just before the deadline of 16 April 2024. As per the Election Commission’s model code of conduct, 48 hours before elections, all campaign and election-related activities must be halted – this applies to politicians, citizens, etc.
On 15 April 2024, Thirunavukkarasu, the one who runs IPDS was not allowed to release the poll survey for Coimbatore. In a viral video, Thirunavukkarasu is seen in a heated discussion with a lady wearing a burkha and a lady police asking him if he got permission from EC to release the survey results. In the video, the police are also seen. The lady claimed he needed permission to release the survey results whereas Thirunavukkarasu went on replying to her that EC had given time for everyone until 48 hours before election day.
Thirunavukkarasu said Dinamalar had released a survey earlier that day and was going to release another on 16 April 2024. He said, “Is this a democratic country? If this is the case, why not arrest Dinamalar and close down their publication?”
He further added, “I am a common man, I am a Tamilian but I am being subjected to this. They will accept Prashant Kishore’s words or PEN’s survey? Should the truth not be told? Should the lies be covered? Is this a democracy?”
திருட்டு திமுக தோல்வி பயத்தில் தனது காவல்துறையை வைத்து, தங்களது சர்வே முடிவுகளை வெளியிட வந்த IPDS நிறுவன ஆட்களை மிரட்டுகிறது…!!
இது தான் ஜனநாயகமா? 😠
கோவையில் அண்ணன் @annamalai_k அவர்கள் குறைந்த பட்சம் 1 லட்சம் வாக்குகள் வித்தியாசத்தில் வெற்றி பெறுவார்… இல்லை என்றால் தனது… pic.twitter.com/Vsgn1aYizT
— நாட்டாமை ⚖️(மோடியின் குடும்பம்💪✍️) (@Agmarksanghi) April 15, 2024
Later addressing the media, he said, “We have been forced to release our survey results in the middle of the road. IDPS was formed with the backing of Loyola College in 2004.”
Challenging the police for their behaviour and their alleged unlawful prevention of his survey release, he said, “The Police department is preventing me from releasing a survey result. The EC states that we can release surveys until 16 April 2024. The Coimbatore LS constituency is a keenly fought battle and everyone’s eyes nationally are on it. We carried out opinion polls/surveys for the past 10 days and the results were to be published today. But today the police prevented me from doing that. I am forced to release the results from the middle of the road.”
“We began in 2004 and to date, we have never faced any such pressure or opposition. I see this as a dictatorship. In my survey for Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat, Annamalai has garnered 38.9% and Ganapathy Rajkumar 33.4% while ADMK got 18.5%,” he continued.
He further said, “I am saying this to the police department which has subjected me to so much heartache that in the upcoming elections, BJP’s Annamalai will win with over a 1 lakh vote difference – if it doesn’t happen, I will wind up my organisation. I challenge the police department for all that they put me through that Annamalai will win in Coimbatore. I have carried out nearly 48 surveys since inception. But this time, the police department has irritated me and caused me a lot of embarrassment and grief. BJP will win Coimbatore. The people are very eager to see this change and are eager to vote for the BJP.”
Speaking about the details of the survey, he said his team surveyed approximately 4000 individuals of all ages, and all backgrounds in and around Palladam, Singanallur, Gavundampalayam, South and North Coimbatore.
He repeated his challenge that he would shut down his organisation if his survey results were any different. He added that he was not affiliated with any political party. When asked if he thought the police were under any form of pressure due to which they prevented the survey result release, he said, “Yes, they have been harassing me since yesterday and torturing me over the phone. Every election I have predicted correctly and I have predicted that the DMK would win the 2021 elections, the 2019 MP elections, and Erode by-elections, and it did. IDPS is number 1 when it comes to surveys so what is wrong in releasing these results as well? What is the need for politics here? All these 20 years, I never faced it, this is very new for me. I am agonised by this. I have predicted that the DMK would win in almost all the elections, but today when I say Coimbatore will see BJP win, why are they politicising it?”
Listen to this ! Despite severe opposition, this survey is now out in the public . pic.twitter.com/2JDZGKaHPl
— karthik gopinath(மோடியின் குடும்பம் ) (@karthikgnath) April 15, 2024
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