CVoter

Centre for Voting Opinion & Trends in Election Research, or CVoter, is an International polling agency with headquarters in India. Yashwant Deshmukh is the managing director and chief editor.^[1] In the 2016 US Presidential election, as per the NBC "The UPI/CVoter poll is one of two mainstream polls that often predicted a Trump victory or shown a nearly tied election (the other is the University of Southern California/ Los Angeles Times poll)".^[2]

CVoter India states that it has covered 15 union budgets, more than 100 state elections and more than 30 international events. Since 2000 it has worked with Times Now, ANN7,^[3] United Press International,^[4] Reuters, Bloomberg News, BBC News, Aaj Tak, Star News Asia, Zee News, Zee Business, the Development and Educational Communication Unit of the Indian Space Research Organisation, India TV, Lok Sabha TV, UTVi business news channel (owned by UTV Software Communications), Sahara Samay (owned by Sahara India Pariwar), Jain TV, Asianet, ETV, CNEB and other news and information providers.^[1][5] Studies have included market research,^[6][7] conflict resolution research,^[8] and opinion polls.^{[9][10][11][12]}

May 2016 saw elections in Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. CVoter was the only one of five polling agencies to predict the Tamil Nadu outcome correctly.^[13]

2016 USA Elections

2009 Indian general elections

The CVoter exit poll projections for India TV showed the UPA with 189–201 seats. It gives the Congress 149–155, the DMK between 9 and 13, the NCP 12–16 and the Trinamool between 12 and 16. The poll showed the BJP-led Front getting between 183 and 195 seats. It includes the BJP (140–146), the JD (U) 17–21.^[55] In the end, in Indian general election, 2009, UPA got 262 (Congress – 206) and NDA 159 (BJP – 116).

2004 Indian general elections

The CVoter exit poll projections for Star News predicted NDA getting between 267–279 and Congress+Allies between 169–181.^[56][57] In the end, in Indian general election, 2004, Congress+Allies(UPA) got 218 (Congress 145) and NDA got 181 (BJP – 138).

2014 Indian general elections

CVoter carried out Tracking polls for India's leading News Networks Times Now; India Today & India TV. A television news channel claimed in a sting operation conducted by it that some of the agencies which conduct opinion polls before elections are willing to tweak their findings for money. It included global giants like Ipsos and CVoter. Initially India Today Group suspended its CVoter contract.^[58][59] However the promoters of "News Express" channel called "Sai Prasad Group"^{[60][61][62][62]} itself got seriously criticised for a string of money laundering cases pursued by multiple Government probing agencies. After series of inquiries and audits; the allegations were found animated and politically motivated^[63] as the Channel was supported by the ruling political party which was shown trailing badly in these opinion polls.^[64] The CVoter Exit Polls were duly carried by India TV and Time Now and all major regional networks of India.

References