The Election Commission has issued a notification prohibiting the conduct and publication of exit polls on February 5, the day of voting for the Delhi Assembly elections and two bypolls in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
The restriction will be in place from 7:00 am to 6:30 pm.
The notification, issued on January 22, cites provisions under the Representation of the People Act, which also bans the display of election-related content, including opinion polls and survey results, in electronic media during the 48-hour period leading up to the conclusion of voting.
Along with the Delhi Assembly elections, bypolls will also take place in the Milkipur constituency of Uttar Pradesh and Erode (East) in Tamil Nadu on the same day.
The Election Commission has made it clear that no media outlet, print or electronic, can conduct or publish exit polls within the designated timeframe.
The official statement emphasised that any attempt to publicise exit poll results through any medium, including social media, will be deemed a violation of the election code.
The regulation aims to ensure free and fair elections, preventing any influence on voters during the polling process.
Meanwhile, as the Delhi elections approach, political parties have intensified their campaigns. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a strong stance against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accusing it of misgovernance over the past eleven years.
Addressing a rally, he referred to the AAP administration as an "AAP-DA" (disaster) government, alleging that it had failed to deliver on key promises.
He assured the people that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forms the government in Delhi, no slums would be demolished and all welfare schemes would continue without interruption.
Modi urged voters not to give AAP another term, warning that another five years under its rule would be wasted. His remarks signal the BJP's aggressive push to regain control of Delhi, which has been governed by AAP since 2015.
The Delhi Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on February 5, with results set to be announced on February 8. The national capital is bracing for a triangular contest, with the BJP, Congress, and AAP vying for power.
With the deadline for campaigning nearing, all three parties are making their final efforts to sway voters. AAP, led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, has been highlighting its track record in education, healthcare, and free electricity schemes.
The BJP, on the other hand, has focused on allegations of corruption and inefficiency against the AAP government.
As the political temperature rises, all eyes are on the voters of Delhi, who will decide the fate of the capital’s leadership for the next five years.
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