Only 4 in 10 aware of Rahul Gandhi’s conviction - Ipsos IndiaBus Survey
Among those aware, views were polarized, on the Surat Sessions Court decision of conviction.
According to an Ipsos IndiaBus Survey on Rahul Gandhi’s impeachment conducted in April 2023, only 4 in 10 citizens polled (44%), claimed to be aware of Rahul Gandhi’s conviction by the Surat Court. 32 per cent claimed to be unaware, while 24% were unsure.
Interestingly, awareness of RG’s conviction was higher among SEC A (59%) vis-à-vis SEC C (37%); and citizens living in the metros (57%) and highly educated (56%) were more aware of the conviction.
Was RG’s conviction and defamation the right decision by the Surat Sessions Court?
Among those aware of the conviction, views were polarized. While 1 in 2 citizens polled (50%) felt it was the right decision; 42% disagreed it was the right decision; and 7% were undecided.
Citizens aware of the Surat Sessions Court decision were further probed for their views on the news and we received mixed views: almost 4 in 10 (39%) said Rahul Gandhi should get the right punishment. He deserves. What he did was not right.; 25% held the view that if Rahul Gandhi is being punished, so should be several other leaders, who have been doing the same; 19% of respondents polled believe Rahul Gandhi is right and looks like he is being framed by the Opposition Party; 17% felt Rahul Gandhi should not be punished as he is the victim of vindictive politics.
Summarizing on the findings, Parijat Chakraborty, Group Service Line Leader, Public Affairs & Corporate Reputation said, "A significant number of citizens are not aware of the conviction. They are not clued into news, especially those from lower strata, they have other compelling priorities. And among those aware, views were almost equally split between those hailing the Surat Sessions Court decision of RG's Conviction and those opposing it. This reflects the polarized times we live in. Also when we captured views on a few pertinent statements, diverse views emerged, in support of decision; of political vendetta, of the decision not being right and of not sparing leaders with similar utterances."
These are the findings of the Ipsos IndiaBus monthly, pan India, quantitative survey, that uses a structured questionnaire and is conducted by Ipsos India on diverse topics among 2285 respondents from SEC A, B and C households, covering all adults of both genders from all four zones in the country. The survey is conducted in metros, tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 towns, providing a more robust and realistic view of urban Indians. The respondents were polled face to face and online. The data is weighted by demographics and city-class population to arrive at the national average. The margin of error is +/-5% with 95% accuracy levels.
