Ashoka University 'dismayed' over faculty's research hinting ‘vote manipulation’ in 2019

Ashoka University distanced itself from a research paper published by Sabyasachi Das, a faculty, which hinted at a possible vote manipulation by the BJP in the 2019 general election. The university said the social media activity or public activism by Ashoka faculty, students or staff in their 'individual capacity' does not reflect the stand of the university. The research paper became an issue of political debate after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey commented on the findings of the research paper.

Titled 'Democratic Backsliding in the World's largest Democracy', the paper "contributes to the discussion by documenting irregular patters in 2019 general election in India and identifying whether they are due to electoral manipulation or precise control, i.e., incumbent party's ability to precisely predict and affect win margins through campaigning"

"I compile several new datasets and present evidence that is consistent with electoral manipulation in closely contested constituencies and is less supportive of the precise control hypothesis. Manipulation appears to take the form of targeted electoral discrimination against India's largest minority group - Muslims, partly facilitated by weak monitoring by election observers. The results present a worrying development for the future of democracy," the abstract of the 50-page research paper said.

Sharing a Twitter thread on the research, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said it is "hugely troubling". "If the Election Commission and/or the Government of India have answers available to refute these arguments, they should provide them in detail. The evidence presented does not lend itself to political attacks on a serious scholar. E.g. the discrepancy in vote tallies needs to be explained, since it can't be wished away," Tharoor wrote.

Not good enough response from university: BJP MP

Nishikant Dubey said Ashoka University's reply on Sabyasachi Das's research paper is not good enough. "It is fine to differ with the BJP on matters of policy but this is taking it too far…how can someone in the name of half-baked research discredit India’s vibrant poll process? How can any University allow it? Answers needed- this is not good enough a response," the BJP MP said.

What did Ashoka University say?

Amid a political debate over the research paper, Ashoka University issued a statement and clarified that the content of the research paper does not show the university's position. “The University encourages its 160-plus faculty to carry out research, but does not direct or approve specific research projects by individual faculty members…To the best of our knowledge, the paper in question has not yet completed a critical review process and has not been published in an academic journal,” the university said.