The Punjab Police have registered an FIR against several news channels for allegedly breaching the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) guidelines by publishing an opinion poll ahead of the Ludhiana (West) Assembly by-election scheduled for June 19.
According to a statement issued by the Punjab’s Public Relations Department, the FIR was filed based on a complaint submitted by the Returning Officer of the 64-Ludhiana (West) Assembly Constituency.
Police officials said the publication of the opinion poll during the mandatory 48-hour 'silence period' before polling violates Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
"The publication of the poll was carried out in violation of the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India, which prohibits the publication or broadcasting of opinion polls in electronic media during the restricted period (48 Hours prior to the close of the Poll)," the statement mentioned.
The police added that such actions are viewed as attempts to influence voter sentiment and manipulate the electoral process.
"The complaint was formally lodged by the Returning Officer of 64-Ludhiana (West) Assembly Constituency. The publication of such a poll is viewed as an attempt to influence voter perception and election response, thereby undermining the integrity of the electoral process," the statement added.
“Strict legal action will be initiated against any individual or organisation found guilty of flouting the Election Commission's directives,” the police further said.
Meanwhile, as campaigning concluded, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited Ludhiana to rally support for her party’s candidate and urged voters to elect the leadership committed to "service, good governance, and prosperity. In a post on the social media platform X, Gupta wrote, "Now Punjab needs - service, good governance and prosperity."
She further said that the people of Punjab were hoping for a safer and better future. "The people of Punjab expect a safe, healthy and respectable life. They want better education, strong infrastructure, and complete freedom from the drug mafia."
The by-elections to five assembly constituencies across the country are set to take place tomorrow. Punjab's Ludhiana (West) assembly constituency was necessitated after the death of Aam Aadmi Party MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi. The votes for all assembly bypolls will be counted on June 23.
There are 14 candidates contesting in Ludhiana West, including Sanjeev Arora from AAP, Bharat Bhushan Ashu from Congress, Parupkar Singh Ghuman from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and Jiwan Gupta from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Apart from Ludhiana (West), Gujarat's Kadi (SC) and Visavadar, Kerala's Nilambur, and West Bengal's Kaliganj are also set to have bypolls.
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