SCL, Cambridge Analytica's Parent Firm, Involved in Indian Election Campaigns Since 2003: Whistleblower Christopher Wylie
Wylie, although claiming that a major national party roped SCL's services in various elections, explicitly names only the Janata Dal (United) for hiring the company's services in 2010.
New Delhi, Mar 28: Former Cambridge Analytica employee Christopher Wylie, who turned a whistleblower earlier in the month, said the group is involved in a slew of political, social, research and electoral campaigns in India since 2003.
Wylie's fresh revelation came a day after he claimed the Congress party was one of the clients of Cambridge Analytica in India. "I believe their client was Congress. But I know have done all kinds of project in various Indian states," he said while deposing before a British parliamentary panel.
Responding to a series of questions posed by Indian scribes after his disclosure, Wylie posted a tweet on Wednesday, giving out details of the projects in which SCL, the parent firm of Cambridge Analytica, was involved in India.
Among the election campaigns in which the SCL was involved include: the Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh assembly polls of 2003, the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections of 2007 and 2012, the Lok Sabha elections of 2009 and the Bihar assembly elections of 2010.
Wylie, although claiming that a major national party roped SCL's services in various elections, explicitly names only the Janata Dal (United) for hiring the company's services in 2010.
Interestingly, Ovleno Business Intelligence, the India-partner of SCL, is headed by senior JD(U) leader KC Tyagi's son Amrish Tyagi.
Amrish, while speaking to reporters earlier, ruled out the possibility of manipulating the poll results. "We were not part of any unethical activity. We were only carrying our ground-level campaigns," he had said.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 28, 2018 04:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).