The Election Commission of India has directed all media outlets to refrain from conducting exit polls or publishing exit poll result from 7 am on March 27 to 7.30 am on April 29.
The directions from the election body come as four states and one union territory – West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry -- are going to polls from March 27.
The ECI order reads: “Election Commission of India has notified the period between 7 AM on 27th March & 7.30 PM on 29th April 2021, as the period during which conducting any exit poll and publishing result of exit poll shall be prohibited in the four states & UT where polls will be held from tomorrow.”
The 2021 Assembly election in West Bengal will be the most long drawn, spanning over phases, ending on April 29.
In Assam, where election will be held over three phases, the election commission has prohibited the display of any election matter in any electronic media, during the 48-hour period ending with the hours fixed for conclusion of polls in respective areas.
The EC notification read: “Election Commission of India, under the provision of Sub-Section (1) of Section 126A of the Representation of People Act, 1951 having regard to the provisions of Sub-Section-(2) of the said Act notifies the period between 7:00 am on 27th March, 2021 (Saturday) to 7:30 pm on 29thApril, 2021 (Thursday) as the period wherein conducting any exit poll and publishing or publicizing 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 General Election to the Assam Legislative Assembly-2021, shall be prohibited”.
With agency inputs
