BENGALURU: Even as the poll frenzy peaks across Karnataka , everyone is keen to know which way the wind is blowing. Knowing well that predictions too play part in influencing voters, fraudsters are releasing survey findings and opinion polls and citing BBC News and US embassy, among others, to pass them off as authentic.

An unsigned letter bearing the emblem of the US embassy created a flutter in political circles as it predicted that JD (S) would emerge as the single-largest party and at least 90 seats in the 224-member state assembly. The May 4 letter even sought to issue an advisory to Americans visiting India to keep good relations with JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda .

The letter claimed that the US embassy had commissioned a private survey which put the tally of Congress at 70 and BJP at 63. “These expected results will have reciprocating reactions in present Indian political scenario,” the letter read. An official of the US embassy declined to comment on the letter being circulated on social media. Embassy sources informally said the letter is fake.

A day earlier, a survey released by another agency calling itself Janta Ki Baat predicted that BJP would win 135 seats. WhatsApp posts carrying the findings also carried the BBC News logo. According to the survey, JD(S) will get 45 seats, 35 and others 9. With the seats adding up to 234, it was patently fake.

“A fake survey on Karnataka polls has been circulating on WhatsApp and claims to be from BBC News. We'd like to make absolutely clear that it's a #fake and does not come from the BBC. The BBC does not commission pre-election surveys in India. #fakenews,” BBC News tweeted.

