India - Government finally bans telecast of exit polls

The Union Cabinet today banned the publication or telecast of the exit poll during a staggered election.This fulfills a long-standing demand of the Election Commission (EC), which had pointed out that the exit polls tend to influence the voters’ choice amidst a stretched-out and multi-phase election. Political parties, too, had supported this as they felt, the exit polls, were being manipulated to change the voters’ preferences.

Announcing this decision after the meeting of the cabinet, Finance Minister P Chidambram said that cabinet has approved making amendment to the Representation of the People Act, 1951 for banning the exit polls till the last poll in an election is over.
"Restriction on telecasting of exit polls would enable the voters to exercise their right to vote without being influenced by the projection of telecast after the one phase of voting is over and the other phases of voting are yet to be completed," he said.
Speaking to the Business Standard earlier, Chief Election Commissioner N N Gopalaswami had said: "What influences a voter’s choice is the exit polls in the middle of the staggered elections. We have been demanding a ban on this. Exit polls should be permitted only after the last phase of election."