New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has issued a strict prohibition on the conduct and sharing of exit polls starting at 7 a.m. on April 9 and lasting until 6:30 p.m. on April 29, covering the duration of the five assembly elections scheduled for this month.

The regulatory body warned that any individual or media outlet broadcasting or conducting such polls during this timeframe would be in violation of Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Such an offence is "punishable with imprisonment up to a period of two years, or with fine or both."

Election Timetable and Deadlines

The multi-state electoral process begins this week for several regions:

  • April 9: Assembly elections will be held in Kerala, Assam, and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
  • April 23: Voters in Tamil Nadu will head to the polls.
  • April 23 & 29: West Bengal will conduct its state elections in two distinct phases.

The commission noted that while polling typically occurs between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., these hours may be adjusted based on local security conditions or difficult terrain.

The 'Silence Period' Protocol

Ahead of the actual voting, a mandatory 48-hour "silence period" is enforced, during which all active campaigning must cease. For the upcoming Thursday contests, this restriction will begin at 5 p.m. on Tuesday in Assam and at 6 p.m. in Kerala and Puducherry.

During this window, candidates and parties are restricted from all forms of public canvassing, with the exception of door-to-door visits by a small number of authorised workers. Election officials acknowledged that maintaining this blackout period is increasingly complex in a digital environment, where online content is difficult to regulate.

The primary objective of the silence period and the exit poll ban is to ensure that voters can cast their ballots without being influenced by last-minute media blitzes or speculative data.

WIth inputs from PTI