Election Commission bans exit poll for five states till March 7

Election Commission of India said, `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.`

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has banned exit polls for five states— Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur-- that will witness elections 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 publicize by means of print or any other manner, the result of any exit poll."

The publishing of exit polls has been prohibited from 7.00 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. 

Earlier, in view of Covid-19 situation, ECI had extended the ban on physical rallies and roadshows till January 31, 2022. 

Elections to 403 Uttar Pradesh Assembly seats will be held in seven phases on these dates: February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27; March 3 and 7. Uttarakhand’s 70 seats and Goa’s 40 seats will go to polls on February 14 in a single phase, while 117-member Punjab Assembly on February 20. A 60-member Manipur Assembly will go to polling in two phases on February 27 and March 3.

(With agency inputs)