The Election Commission has prohibited the release of exit polls by media outlets or in any other manner during the assembly elections-2024 for Jammu and Kashmir under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, an official spokesman said.

It is a routine exercise by the EC during elections to ensure a level playing field.

"The exit poll ban on election results, according to the notification, starts from the beginning of hours fixed for the voting on the first day of poll and continues till half an hour after the closing of the voting in J-K," the spokesman said.

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in three phases with voting for the first phase to be held on September 18 followed by the second phase on September 25 and the third phase on October 1.

Invoking Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (R.P. Act, 1951), the ECI notification emphasised that "no person shall conduct any exit poll and publish or publicise by means of the print or electronic media, or disseminate in any other manner whatsoever, the result of any exit poll during such period as may be notified by the Election Commission in this regard." "Any person who contravenes the provisions of this section shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term that may extend to two years, or with a fine, or both," the ECI notification reads.

"The Election Commission hereby notifies the period between 7:00 A.M. on September 18, 2024 (Wednesday), and 6:30 P.M. on October 5, 2024 (Saturday), as the period during which the conducting, publishing, or publicising of exit polls by any means, including print or electronic media, or dissemination in any other manner, shall be prohibited in connection with the aforementioned general elections," it added.

The ECI said under Section 126(1)(b) of the R.P. Act, 1951, displaying any election matter, including the results of any opinion poll or other poll survey, in any electronic media, is prohibited during the 48-hour period ending with the conclusion of polling in connection with these general elections.

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