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Popular psephologist and TV anchor Pradeep Bhandari, has sent a legal notice for criminal and civil defamation to Samarth Bansal, a freelance journalist, against an online article that compares performances of poll agencies & psephologists through their predictions in the last few years.

In the initial paragraphs of the article titled "Indian pollsters are doing fine. Here is how forecasts work", which was published on Bansal's website last month, Bansal states that "Jan Ki Baat is the worst in this lot: 10 of its 21 calls were wrong - not much better than a dart-throwing chimp". In the latter part, Bansal has questioned its methodology as well.

Bhandari, who is also a popular psephologist, in his legal notice issued through Advocate Shoumendu Mukherji has alleged that Bansal published false, fabricated, and manipulated information with a mala fide intention to harm and lower the reputation of Mr. Pradeep Bhandari and "Jan Ki Baat."

The notice demands that Bansal deletes the impugned article from the website, and from all databases in his possession and control, 'or' modify the contents of the article suitably to remove the false & misleading statements.

Bansal has also been asked to tender an unconditional apology within 48 hours and to undertake not to repeat such actions or make such public statements against  Bhandari or Jan Ki Baat in the future. 

The notice further states that in the impugned article, in a further attempt to denígrate the reputation of Jan ki Baat, Bansal has followed it up with a comparative analytical chart where he has enlisted four polling agencies including"Jan Ki Baat" and has sought to pass judgment without any basis on which elections were predicted correctly / incorrectly.

The notice reads, "Your analysis of my client's performance is far from reality and is a deplorable assessment using your own imaginary and capricious methods to achieve a premeditated motive. It is a targeted attempt at tarnishing the image of the most reputed, followed, and watched psephologist in India."

The notice further states, "Not just in the past, even recent results i.e. 2022 elections have been deliberately camouflaged, whitewashed by you the noticee (Bansal) to negate my client's (Jan ki Baat) accuracy and on point predictions which received wide acclaim and accolades across the spectrum by leading analysts."

"In fact, my client as numbers show was the only psephologist to be the closest to the actual results in Uttar Pradesh, where you however have shown all the polling agencies marked in green with a deliberate intent to undermine and downplay my client's and Jan Ki Baat's hard work," it adds. 

Through the notice, Bansal has been informed that upon his failure to comply with the aforesaid requisitions, Jan ki Baat shall be compelled to take stringent and appropriate legal action in the nature of civil action or criminal prosecution, or both against him at his own cost and risk.