Punjab elections 2022: No exit polls allowed from Feb 10 till March 7, says Karuna Raju

Chandigarh, February 1:  After the Election Commission banned exit polls between February 10 and March 7 this year with regard to the Assembly elections 2022 in five states, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju on Tuesday said exit polls could not be conducted and publicised in the state by means of print and electronic media or disseminated in any other manner in the above mentioned period.

S Karuna Raju, in a statement, said, "Under provisions of Section 126 A of the Representations of the Peoples Act, 1951 "Exit polls cannot be conducted and publicised by means of print and electronic media or dissemination in any other manner starting from February 10 2022, at 7 am to March 7, 2022, at 6.30 pm ."

Under provisions of Section 126 A of the Representations of the Peoples Act, 1951, exit polls cannot be conducted and publicised by means of print and electronic media or dissemination in any other manner starting from February 10 2022, at 7 am to March 7, 2022, at 6.30 pm.

Clarifying further, he said display of any election matter, including results of any opinion poll or any other poll survey in any electronic media, was prohibited during the period 48 hours, including the hour fixed for the conclusion of poll in each of the phases in connection with the Assembly elections 2022.

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On January 28, the Election Commission banned exit polls for five states —Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur-- that will witness Assembly elections 2022 in the coming days.

On January 28, the Election Commission banned exit polls for five states —Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur-- that will witness Assembly elections 2022 in the coming days.

In an order dated January 28, 2022, the poll body wrote, "No person shall conduct any exit poll and publish or publicise by means of print or any other manner, the result of any exit poll."

The publishing of exit polls has been prohibited from 7 am on February 10 to 6.30 pm on March 7- i.e. during the polling period. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

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-PTC News