By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
Farrukhabad, UP: External Affairs Minister and Congress candidate from Farrukhabad Salman Khurshid has said that the broadcast or publication of opinion polls during the middle of the elections should be banned.
Speaking to TwoCircles.net, during his campaign at Farrukhabad, Khurshid said that the broadcast or publication of exit polls of different phases of elections are banned till the last phase is over on the ground that it may influence the voters. Similarly, he suggested that the broadcast or publication of opinion polls, election tracker or ‘mood of the nation’ – call it any name – during the election is likely to influence the voters and hence must be banned.
Different opinion polls have increasingly been predicting more seats with every passing week to the BJP/NDA alliance and lesser seats for the Congress. According to the April 14 survey by NDTV, BJP and its allies are likely to get more than 272 seats. They have come under huge criticism for favouring a particular party. In fact Congress has highlighted that even in 2004 and 2009, opinion polls had shown BJP/NDA winning.
In fact the Election Commission too took serious note of the NDTV’s April 14 opinion poll and without naming the channel. It said that said surveys had included the 111 constituencies already polled and that “in effect becomes dissemination of result of exit polls in respect of the said constituencies.”
Section 126A of Representation of the People Act prohibits publication and dissemination of exit polls.
In a communication addressed to heads of news organisations, the EC noted, “In order to maintain level playing field and to ensure free and fair elections, the Commission advises all print and electronic media not to resort to the type of practice as mentioned above which for all practical purposes mean publication of exit poll while claiming that the same is only an opinion poll,” the EC said in the communication addressed to all heads of all news organisations.”
Khurshid, who is busy in his constituency for a tight election, however, opined that not only exit polls but any kind of opinion polls in the middle of the elections should be banned.
He added that this is his personal opinion and he has not discussed it with the party leadership, but suggested that once he is back to Delhi after the April 24 poll, he would consult the party over it and they may approach the EC for a ban of such opinion polls.