The Election Commission on Wednesday cautioned media against broadcasting or publishing any opinion poll till the completion of the Lok Sabha polls on May 12. In a communication, the EC referred to the opinion poll broadcast by a TV channel on April 14 and said it included results of 111 Lok Sabha constituencies where balloting has taken place which ?in effect becomes dissemination of result of exit polls in respect of the said constituencies?. The Commission did not name any channel, but the opinion poll was broadcast by NDTV. This, the EC, said was violation of Section 126A of Representation of the People Act that prohibits publication and dissemination of exit polls. ?The prohibited period for this purpose is explained as ?the period may commence from the beginning of the hours fixed for poll on the first day of poll and continues till half an hour after closing of the polling in all the states and union territories?,? it noted.
Court asks Kejriwal to appear in 10 days over poll code breach
A local court in Kutch district of Gujarat on Wednesday issued a notice to Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and asked him to appear within ten days for alleged breach of the Model Code of Conduct during his ?fact finding? tour last month. Gandhidham Judicial Magistrate KD Prasad ordered Kejriwal to appear before the court here in connection with the violation of the election code. The former Delhi CM, during his four-day ?reality check? tour of Gujarat, had addressed a public gathering using a loud speaker at Rishabh corner area of Gandhidham town of Kutch district without prior permission.
Sibal moves EC against Swamy for poll code violation
Union law minister Kapil Sibal on Wednesday moved the Election Commission against senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy over his complaint that the senior Congress leader wilfully did not disclose the business interests of his wife, saying such allegations are aimed at defaming him. The minister said that Swamy?s claim that one of the companies in which his wife has a stake is an exporter of cow meat is intended to evoke religious sentiments ?and thus violative of the model code of conduct?. Sibal said the value of the shares held by his wife in the private unlisted companies is in accordance with law.