No Person Can Conduct, Publish Any Exit Poll, EC Issues Strict Guidelines Ahead of Assembly Elections

It must be noted that the elections in Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases from 10 February 2022 and the counting of votes will take place on March 10, 2022.

Assembly Election 2022: The Election Commission on Saturday issued strict guidelines and banned all exit polls pertaining to the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur.

“No person shall conduct any exit poll and publish or publicize by means of print or any other manner, the result of any exit poll,” the EC said in the order.

Copy of the order: 

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission also banned all exit polls pertaining to the coming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh from February 10 to March 7. Those violating the order could be jailed for at least two years and fine or both, the EC said in a separate notification.

In a statement, UP’s Chief Electoral Officer Ajay Kumar Shukla said that conducting the exit polls, its publication in print or electronic media or its publicity has been banned from 7AM on February 10 to 6.30 PM on March 7.

“Any person who violates the order will be punished with a two-year jail term or fine or both,” the EC notice said.

It must be noted that the elections in Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases from 10 February 2022 and the counting of votes will take place on March 10, 2022.

Uttar Pradesh will go to poll in 7 phases (February 10, February 14th, February 20th, Feb 23, Feb 27, March 3 and March 7) from 10th Feb to 7th March.

In the meantime, the Election Commission had on January 22 extended the ban on physical rallies and roadshows until January 31. This was the second time that the EC has extended the ban after first one announced on January 15.

However, the EC has given relaxation for physical public meetings of political parties or contesting candidates for Phase 1 from January 28 and for Phase 2 from February 1.