CHANDIGARH: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has prohibited the release of exit polls for the upcoming Assembly elections in Haryana. Under Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, exit polls and the dissemination of their results are banned from the start of voting until half an hour after the end of polling. The start of voting is counted from 7:00 am on September 18, 2024, as the elections for the Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir Assemblies were notified together. This ban will remain in effect until 6:30 pm on October 5, 2024, the day of polling.
Sharing this information on Tuesday, Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agrawal said that, according to the notification, conducting, publishing, or publicising exit polls by means of print or electronic media, or disseminating the results in any manner whatsoever, will be prohibited until 6:30 pm on October 5, 2024 (Saturday).
In addition, displaying any election matter, including the results of any opinion poll or any other poll survey, in electronic media will be prohibited during the 48-hour period leading up to the conclusion of polling for the general election. Violators of Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 may face imprisonment of up to two years, a fine, or both. All media houses are advised to strictly follow these instructions.
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