The Election Commission has put restrictions on conduct of exit polls, and the publication and dissemination of their results between 7 am on April 19 and 6.30 pm on June 1, in view of the Lok Sabha election and assembly polls in four states.
“Attention of general public, especially news bureaus, media houses, radio and television channels, is drawn towards the Election Commission of India’s notification dated 28th March, regarding ban on exit polls, results of any opinion poll/any other poll survey in print or electronic media or dissemination in any other manner whatsoever,” read the public notice issued by the Special Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi Rajesh Kumar.
It said the schedule for the General Elections, State Legislative Assemblies (SLA) of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim, and bye-elections in the SLA of Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were announced by the Commission on 16th March.
Referring to the Representation of the People Act(R.P.Act), 1951, it further said, “The Election Commission hereby notifies the period between 7.00 am on 19th April and 6:30 pm on 1st June as the period during which conducting any exit poll and publishing or publicizing by means of the print or electronic media or dissemination in any other manner whatsoever, the result of any exit poll in connection with the current General Elections and the SLA of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim, and bye-elections from assembly constituencies, to be held simultaneously with the LS polls, shall be prohibited.”
Displaying any election matter including results of any opinion poll or any other poll survey, in any electronic media, would be prohibited during the period of 48 hours ending with the hours fixed for conclusion of poll in the respective polling areas, the public notice read.
The LS election will be held in seven phases between 19th April and 1st June. The results will be declared on 4th June.