Exit polls patently illegal; yet happening before the eyes of EC: Ex-CEC

Former chief election commissioner SY Quraishi on Tuesday claimed that the exit polls are patently illegal and they are happening before the eyes of the Election Commission (EC).

Addressing the G V G Krishnamurty Memorial Lecture here, he asked when the conduct of exit polls is banned during the "prohibited period" -- from the day of commencement of voting for the first phase till half-an-hour after the end of polling in the last phase -- how are they being held.

He said when exit polls cannot be conducted in that period, how can be shown soon after conclusion of polls.

"There is one patent illegality happening before our eyes and the eyes of the EC with the involvement of EC," he said.

He said according to a 2009 amendment to section 126 A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the conduct, publication and dissemination of results of exit poll in any manner during the prohibited period is banned.

"How is the illegality happening," he questioned.

Referring to electoral bonds, he said after six years the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional.

He said the SC had no time and kept the issue on the backburner for a long period.

Quraishi was the chief election commissioner (CEC) between July 2010 and June 2012.

Addressing the gathering, he said the judiciary has to be credited for several of the electoral reforms, including the decision to make candidates disclose criminal cases against them as well as their assets and liabilities.

Referring to an index which placed India as a "flawed democracy", Quraishi said initially he was upset at the report and thought it was a "western conspiracy".

"But when I studied, I found exactly the right reasons about which citizens are concerned," he said.

"Only seven per cent of women were in Parliament (then, when the report came). Obviously that is not full democracy," he said, adding that at that time 40 per cent MPs had criminal antecedents.

"We are a flawed democracy but we have no one but ourselves to blame," he said.

Late G V G Krishnamurty was a CEC.