EC bans exit poll results till last phase

Television channels, newspapers or any other media will not be able to release exit poll or opinion poll results during the voting for 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

Acting on a recent order of the Supreme Court, the Election Commission today imposed restrictions on the dissemination of such surveys.

The commission has banned opinion polls during the 48 hours before the end of the poll in case of a single-phase election. In case of a multi-phase election, there is a bla-nket ban on exit polls till the last round of polling is over.

The Supreme Court, in its order last month, said the EC was eligible to ban exit polls and opinion polls during elections.

“The Election Commission is free to frame its guidelines to regulate publication of exit polls,” said a bench of Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice P Sathasivam on a petition seeking ban on such surveys.

Last year, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had decided to ban these exit and opinion polls. A legislation to this effect is pending in Parliament.

Acting on the SC order, the Commission today issued detailed guidelines for dissemination of opinion and exit poll results. “No result of any opinion or exit poll conducted at any time shall be published, publicised or disseminated in any manner by print, electronic or any other media at any time during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for closing of poll in an election held in a single phase,” the EC said.

For a multi-phase election and for elections in different states announced simultaneously, the EC barred dissemination of these polls “at any time during the period starting from 48 hours before the hour fixed for closing of poll in the first phase of the election and till the poll is concluded in all the phases in all states”.

Last year, the Union Cabinet had approved a proposal to restrict publication of exit polls till the end of the last phase of polling by an amendment to Section 126 (B) of the Representation of People Act, 1951. The Bill for this purpose has already been passed by the Rajya Sabha and is pending before the Lok Sabha.

According to the EC guidelines, electronic media includes government and private radio and television channels, covering satellite, DTH, terrestrial and cable channels.

Print media includes dissemination through any newspaper, magazine, periodical, electronic media, pamphlet, poster, placard, handbill or any other document.