Election Commission bans exit polls for assembly election in poll-bound states from Nov 12 to Dec 7

The Election Commission has banned the exit polls in the poll-bound state of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram from November 12 to December 7.

The first phase of the Chhattisgarh Assembly election will start from November 12 and the second phase is due for November 20. The Election Commission has imposed a complete ban on any exit poll being conducted by the electronic, print or digital media in any form.

As per the Section 126(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1951, “portraying any election related 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 hour fixed for conclusion of poll in each of the phases.”

The press release further said, “The Election Commission of India, in exercise of the powers under sub-section(1) of Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 notified the period between 7 a.m. on November 12, 2018 and 5.30 p.m. on December 7, 2018 as the period during which conducting any exit poll and publishing or publicizing the result of exit poll by means of the print or electronic media or in any other manner shall be prohibited in the ongoing general elections.”

The Assembly election in Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram are scheduled for November 28 and Telangana and Rajasthan will go to polls on December 7. The counting of votes and declaration of results will happen on December 11.

The election is being seen as the semi-final for the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

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