No exit polls allowed until elections are over: Election Commission

No exit polls on the Himachal and Gujarat elections will be allowed till the elections are over on December 5, Election Commission has said.

The notification also said that no opinion polls or any other poll survey will be allowed during the 48 hours ending with the hours fixed for conclusion of polling in Himachal.

No such polls will be allowed to be published or broadcast in any print and electronic media from 8 am on November 12 and 5 pm on December 5.


Voting is currently underway in Himachal Pradesh for 68 Assembly segments while Gujarat will vote on December 1 and 5. Results will be out on December 8.

A spokesman for the Election Department said that as per the notification, the display of any election matter, including the results of an opinion poll or any other poll survey in electronic media, would be prohibited during 48 hours ending with the hours fixed for the conclusion of polling in connection with the general elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat under Section 126(1) (b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The EC also directed the chief electoral officers of Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat with the request that the advisory is communicated in the form of a gazette notification and a copy is sent to the Commission for record. The officers concerned have also been advised to notify all news bureaus, media houses and radio and television channels on the advisory.

The campaign for Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls ended on Thursday, with the BJP and Congress engaged in a keen contest and Aam Aadmi Party also trying to put up a strong performance.A total of 412 candidates across parties are in the fray.

The elections will decide the fates of Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, CLP Leader Mukesh Agnihotri, Chairman of Congress Campaign Committee Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and several other prominent leaders.