EC asks Centre to ban opinion polls from date of notification

In a communication to the law ministry, the Election Commission has said that a total of 15 political parties, including five national and 10 regional parties, responded to its proposal on opinion polls and a majority of them supported the ban.

‘Five national parties and 10 state parties have submitted their views on the matter,’ the Commission said after it wrote to various parties seeking their views afresh on opinion polls.

The law ministry had asked the Commission to hold fresh consultations with parties on the issue and then give its views.

While forwarding the response of the parties, the poll panel noted that it had previously held consultations with parties on the issue on 6 April, 2004.

‘The political parties were then (2004) of the unanimous view that publishing the results of opinion poll should be prohibited from the date of notification of election. Accordingly, the proposal made by the Commission was for a provision made in the law prohibiting publishing and dissemination of result of opinion poll from the date of notification of election,’ says the EC letter.