BJP only backer for opinion polls

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) has written to the law ministry reiterating its long-standing proposal for banning publishing and dissemination of opinion poll results from the date of notification of elections.

In a November 12 communication to the law secretary, the commission forwarded the views of five national parties and 10 state parties on the proposed ban, submitted to it over the last month. Except BJP, all parties, including BJP allies SAD and Shiv Sena, have backed the restrictions.

BJP — which had in a 2004 all-party meet backed a ban on dissemination of opinion poll results from the date of notification of elections — has argued that the ban would curb the freedom of expression guaranteed in Article 19(1)( a) of the Constitution.

In its letter to the law secretary , the EC submitted a gist of views expressed by five of the six national parties — Congress, BJP, BSP, NCP and CPM — as well as 10 regional parties, namely TMC, AIADMK, DMK, DMDK, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), JD(U), SP, Shiv Sena, SAD and Karnataka Janatha Paksha. The views were communicated to the EC in reply to its October 4 letter asking six national parties and over 50 recognized state outfits to spell out their stance.

The EC had elicited the parties’ views as requested by the law ministry on September 24. On November 12, the EC also responded to the ministry’s plea seeking its view on when the ban should come into effect. The poll body cited its earlier proposal based on consensus that had emerged at an all-party meeting convened by it on April 6, 2004. “Accordingly, the proposal made by the commission was for a provision in the law prohibiting publishing and dissemination of results of opinion poll from the date of notification of election.”

Among national parties, Congress, BSP, CPM and NCP put their weight behind the EC proposal. Congress said that such surveys during elections were neither scientific nor based on a transparent methodology and could be manipulated by vested interests; the BSP agreed, saying agencies that are paid to conduct opinion polls are susceptible to being managed to confuse the voters just before polls. CPM said that though conducting surveys was fine, their results should not be published during a reasonable period before the date of poll and till half an hour after conclusion of poll. NCP, too, favoured a ban.