Lok Sabha Polls 2019: EC asks Twitter to delete all exit poll-related tweets

Just four days before the seventh-phase Lok Sabha election on Sunday, Election Commission ordered Twitter to remove all the tweets related to exit polls. EC's this move came after it received certain complaint sources aware of the development on Thursday, later the user deleted the tweet. However, the source didn't specify the complaint.

This step taken by EC after it issued a show-cause notice to three media outlets for allegedly publishing a survey "announcing results" of General Elections. Election Commission also sent them a notice to ask them to reply within 48 hours.

"The ECI has received complaints against three media houses with respect to displaying poll surveys predicting results of Lok Sabha elections. The ECI has sought explanation from these media houses... as to why action should not be taken against them for violation of a provision of section 126A of Representation of the People Act," the poll body said in a statement to PTI.

Let us tell you that Section 126A of the representation of the people act says "no person shall conduct any exit poll and publish or publicise by means of the print or electronic media... the result of any exit poll during such period... In case of a general election, the period may commence from the beginning of the hours fixed for poll on the first day of poll and continue till half an hour after closing of the poll in all the states and union territories."

The section also includes that any person who contravenes the provisions of this section shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two or with fine or with both. The first phase of General Election begins on 11th April and will now end with the seventh phase polling on 19th May. The results of the polling will come out on 23rd May 2019.

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