NewDelhi: People in Himachal Pradesh will have to wait for nearly five weeks, till the evening of December 14, to know the outcome of the exit polls on Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, a senior Election Commission functionary said on Wednesday.
The official pointed to recent directives issued by Election Commission, orders and election laws to remind that exit polls can be telecast half- an-hour after the end of polling in all the phases and states.
The single-phase assembly election in Himachal Pradesh will be held on November 9.
Coastal state Gujarat too will witness polling at the same time in two phases. While the first phase of polls in Gujarat will take place on December 9, the second will be held on December 14.
As per EC direction, exit polls showing outcome of the Himachal Pradesh polls cannot take place till both the phases of Gujarat polls are completed. Therefore, the natives of the hill state will have to wait till the evening of December 14 to check the outcome of exit polls.
The poll panel may formally come out with a fresh direction on the issue in the coming days.
Existing law allows the EC to ban opinion polls 48 hours prior to voting.
Bureau Report
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