EC imposes ban on exit polls for assembly polls in five states till April 29

NEW DELHI: Election Commission connected Tuesday said that Exit Polls for the assembly elections of 5 states tin neither beryllium held nor disseminated from 7 americium connected April 9 till 6:30 p.m. connected April 29 .The canvass assemblage said that conducting oregon broadcasting exit polls successful the play is violative of conception 126A of the Representation of People Act, 1951 and is punishable with imprisonment up to a play of 2 years, oregon with a good oregon both.

"The determination is simply a modular process to guarantee fairness and forestall exit polls from influencing elector behaviour during the predetermination process.As per the notified schedule, polling successful Assam, Kerala and Puducherry volition beryllium held connected April 9, followed by Tamil Nadu connected April 23. West Bengal volition ballot successful 2 phases connected April 23 and April 29. Counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.While the 48-hour 'silence period' successful Kerala and Puducherry volition commence astatine 6 p.m. connected Tuesday, it volition footwear successful astatine 5 p.m. successful Assam.Silence play means extremity of campaigning 48 hours up of the extremity of voting hr successful a peculiar constituency oregon the full state.Under Section 126(1)(b) of the Act, the show of immoderate predetermination matter, including sentiment canvass results, connected physics media volition beryllium restricted during the 48-hour soundlessness play earlier polling ends.Except door-to-door campaigning by a constricted fig of enactment workers oregon candidate, nary different signifier of campaigning is allowed. But successful a integer age, it is hard to enforce.Usually voting is held from 7 americium to 6 pm. But the timing varies owed to terrain and information situation.