On April 28, Assam woke up to a “skybus” advertisement in all the major dailies published out of the state declaring that the Bharatiya Jan...
On April 28, Assam woke up to a “skybus” advertisement in all the major dailies published out of the state declaring that the Bharatiya Janata Party would “win all constituencies of Upper Assam” which had polled the previous day. A skybus ad resembles a banner headline and in the absence of a prominent enough disclaimer – as was the case here – it is easy for readers to mistake it for news.
The Congress was outraged and approached the Election Commission. They alleged it was a violation of the commission’s model code of conduct that prohibited, among other things, exit polls before the conclusion of all phases of an ongoing election. The party also filed a police complaint against the BJP’s top brass in the state.
The Congress’s displeasure was understandable. The 47 seats that polled on April 27 will in all likelihood decide the fate of the overall elections – any indication to the electorate that the BJP had swept them could have meant lukewarm turnout in the rest of the two phases where the Congress-led alliance’s prospects are believed to be somewhat brighter.
Upper Assam and CAA
Indeed, Upper Assam was supposed to be the stiffest battleground this election. The area, dominated largely...
