New Delhi: In a flip flop, the Election Commission today said exit polls will be banned till May 16, the day of counting, but soon after clarified that the prohibition will be in place only till the end of the last phase of polling on May 12.
“Exit poll is prohibited till half an hour after closing of the poll on May 12 (the last day of the nine-phased polling),” the Election Commission said in a statement.
“In a multi-phased election, the ban begins on the hour the poll is fixed and ends half an hour after the poll ends in the last phase,” said Dhirendra Ojha, Director in the EC.
The EC's clarification came soon after Election Commissioner H S Brahma said the exit polls cannot be telecast before May 16.
“You are not supposed to conduct exit polls before May 16th—the counting day... We will not allow you to open your mouth before 16th evening,” he said during an interaction with Indian Women Press Corps here.
