EC orders action against Nandighosha TV for telecasting exit poll results

The Election Commission of India (ECI) directed the Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha to take immediate action against Nandighosha TV as per the existing provisions for telecasting exit poll results in Odisha.

Exit polls are prohibited under section 126A of the RP Act 1951. ECI had notified the prohibited period from April 19, 2024 (7 am) to June 1, 2024 (6:30 pm) vide its order dated March 28, 2024.

The assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Odisha are taking place simultaneously, in four phases, from May 13 to June 1. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

Forty-two assembly constituencies in Odisha went to the polls on May 25.

Naveen Patnaik (77) has been serving as the Chief Minister of Odisha since 2000 and is the second-longest serving CM of any Indian state. He is seeking a record sixth term in power in the state.

The 2024 Indian general election in Odisha is being held in four phases to elect 21 members of the 18th Lok Sabha.

In the last assembly elections in 2019, the BJD won 112 out of 146 seats. BJP won 23 seats, and Congress got nine seats.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJD mopped up the lion's share of the electoral spoils, with the BJP and the Congress following behind. The BJD won 12 seats, the BJP finished a close second at 8, and the Congress bagged just a lone seat.