Exit poll results of the Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat Assembly elections cannot be made public before December 14 evening, the Election Commission said on Tuesday.
“Conducting any exit poll and publishing or publicising by means of the print or electronic media or dissemination in any other manner, whatsoever the result of any exit poll in connection with the current general elections to the legislative assemblies of Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, shall be prohibited” between 8 a.m. of November 9 and 6 p.m. of December 14, the Commission’s order said.
The panel said displaying results of any opinion poll or any other election survey had been prohibited 48 hours prior to the election day.
Directive to channels
In a separate statement, the Commission said that television channels, radio stations and cable networks should ensure that the contents of the programmes beamed 48 hours prior to the election day “do not contain any material, including views/appeals by panellists/participants that may be construed as promoting/prejudicing the prospect of any particular party or candidate or influencing/affecting the result of the election.”
