The Election Commission takes a major move by outlawing opinion polls and exit poll estimates for Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh

• Image Credit: internet

• Nov 11, 2022 | Sourav Boruah

Digital
Desk: On Thursday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) released a regulation
restricting the broadcast and publication of exit-poll estimates for Gujarat
and Himachal Pradesh, two states with upcoming elections. While Gujarat, the
home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will hold two rounds of voting on
December 1 and 8, Himachal will hold elections on November 12.

Exit-poll
estimates cannot be published in any print or electronic medium between the
hours of 8 a.m. November 12 and 5 p.m. December 5, according to a poll panel
notification that was released on Thursday.

The
Election Commission hereby notifies the time period between 8 a.m. on November
12 and 5.30 p.m. on December 5 as the time period during which conducting any
exit polls and publishing or publicising the results through print or
electronic media or disseminating them in any other way, whatsoever, is
permitted in accordance with the authority granted by sub-section (l) of
Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. 

 The
EC further requested that a copy of the advise be given to the Commission for
record-keeping and a copy be sent to the chief electoral officers of Gujarat
and Himachal Pradesh.

The
concerned personnel have also been instructed to inform all news organisations,
media organisations, radio stations, and television channels of the alert. For
both states, the vote tallying has been set for December 8.

The
BJP has released its initial list of 160 candidates for the elections in Gujarat.
A total of 182 Assembly constituencies across the state will be polled. The
list includes 24 people from scheduled tribes, 13 people from scheduled castes,
and 14 women. Up to 69 successful candidates from the most recent state
election have run again.

"For
each election, new candidates are selected. After numerous conversations and
surveys taken at the booth, new faces were also given the chance this time. We
anticipate the candidates to produce significant victories. Our list
demonstrates how the BJP awards seats to young people, women, and members of
lower social strata "CR Patil, the BJP's state president, remarked.