Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had earlier criticised news channels for showing early trends on counting days, calling it “nonsense.” Speaking at a press conference, Kumar also said that exit polls create a lot of confusion by raising expectations. He urged the media, especially TV channels, to reflect on their role in this issue.
“We do not govern exit polls, but there is a need for self-introspection. What was the sample size, where was the survey done, how did the result come and what is my responsibility if I did not match to that result, are there disclosures – all of these need to be seen,” Kumar said. He was joined by Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu.
Kumar suggested that groups like the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority should regulate themselves.
“Counting happens roughly on the third day after the elections end. Expectations rise from 6 pm, but there is no scientific basis to this in public disclosure,” he said.
He also criticised how results start appearing in the media just minutes after counting begins.
“When counting starts, results start coming (in the media) from 8:05 am and 8:10 am. This is nonsense. My counting starts at 8:30 am,” Kumar said. He questioned whether these early trends were shown to justify exit polls.
The Election Commission, he explained, starts publishing trends and results on its website from 9:30 am onwards, updating them every two hours.
Kumar acknowledged that media reporters at counting stations might get early results. However, the Election Commission has to follow a process: displaying the result on the screen, getting polling agents to sign it, and providing justification to observers.
“It may take 30 minutes for the results to come on the official website,” he said.
He warned that this delay could cause problems.
“So, when the actual results start coming in, there is a mismatch. That mismatch can lead to serious issues sometimes. The gap between expectations and achievements is nothing but frustration,” the CEC said.
Recently, the Congress had raised concerns about delays in displaying results on the Election Commission’s website after the Haryana assembly elections.
With inputs from PTI