Exit polls banned

Election Commission notify the  ban on  the publication and dissemination of exit polls of any kind in the five poll bound states from November 11 till December 4, till the assembly elections are over.        

The Commission issued these orders and sent them to chief electoral officers of all the five poll-bound states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Delhi.

Election Commission has banned the publication and dissemination of exit polls of any kind in the five poll bound states from 11th November till 4th December, when the Assembly elections are over.

The Commission issued these orders and sent them to Chief Electoral Officers of all the five poll-bound states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Delhi.  The exit polls will be banned from 7 AM on 11th November when polling in the first phase of Chhattisgarh starts till 5:30 PM on 4th December when the Delhi Assembly polls end.  Channels are also prohibited from telecasting interviews of voters after they cast their votes.  The Commission has also banned the publication of results of any opinion polls 48 hours before polling in a state.  14 parties respond on opinion polls, EC for more consultations  Only 14 of the 60-odd recognised political parties in the country have responded to Election Commission's proposal to ban opinion polls and it will take a decision on the issue after further consultations.  While all the national recognised political parties, barring CPI, have sent their views and suggestions on the issue, only nine regional parties have sent their comments to the Commission.  "We have not got a response from all political parties on opinion polls. We will take a call on the issue only after holding more consultations with parties," Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath told reporters in New Delhi on Friday.  The Commission had written to all recognised national and state parties to send their views on the proposed ban on opinion polls after the government asked it to hold fresh consultations on the issue.  A number of political parties have responded positively to the EC proposal, with Congress leading the bandwagon in seeking a ban or regulation on opinion polls during the election process.  BJP is the only party which is vehemently opposing the ban saying it would go against the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression.  It has also alleged that the ruling party was favouring prohibition of opinion polls as it feared defeat.  The Election Commission proposal has already triggered a major debate on the way opinion polls are conducted as BJP is widely projected by pre-poll surveys to do well in the forthcoming assembly polls and Lok Sabha elections and is thus exploiting it to its advantage.  It has attacked the Congress for its demand saying, a "loser" cannot seek to alter the rules of the game.  However, BJP ally Akali Dal as well as BSP, SP and DMK have supported the ban on opinion polls while CPI(M) and CPI have favoured regulating such polls, especially once the elections are announced and Model Code of Conduct comes into force.  The BSP has also sought a ban on opinion polls during elections. In its communication, the party said opinion polls do not reflect the correct picture.  CPI(M) and CPI have said they had no objection on conduct of the opinion polls but the results should not be published once the election process starts and Model Code is in force.  It also cautioned against manipulation of such polls.  The EC had sought the views of various parties on banning opinion polls after the government asked it to do so.  The Congress wrote to the Commission favouring restriction on the publication and dissemination of opinion polls during polls.  It said random surveys were "erroneous", "lack credibility" and could be "manipulated" by vested interests.  "The grounds on which the ECI is considering restriction do not get covered by the postulates prescribed in Art 19(2) of the Constitution," BJP said in a letter to the Commission.