Timeline

♤ In 1998 Lok Sabha and State Assembly polls, Election commission introduced guideline under Article 324: While carrying the results of exit and opinion polls, newspapers and channels shall disclose-

o Sample size of the electorate

o Details of polling methodology

o Margin of error

o Background of the polling agency

♤ In 1999, guidelines were challenged by media and a Constitutional Bench said that ECI cannot enforce guidelines in the absence of statutory sanction. Therefore ECI took them down.

♤ In 2004 ECI gave recommendation to amend the Representation of the People Act 1951 to ban both exit and opinion polls during a period as specified.

♤ In 2010, restrictions were imposed only on exit polls through the introduction of Section 126(A) in RPA, 1951.

♤ In 2017, Election Commission (EC) said that Predictions by astrologers, Tarot readers and Political analysts on election results cannot be published or broadcast by the media. EC observed such kind of analysis is equivalent Exit polls.