The Chief Electoral Officer, Assam, Anurag Goel has urged all media houses, agencies and stakeholders to strictly adhere to the provisions of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections in the state.
The appeal comes in the wake of a notification by the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding the period during which the conduct and dissemination of exit polls has been prohibited.
The ECI had issued the notification in exercise of the powers conferred under sub-Section 1 of Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and having regard to the provisions of sub-Section (2) of the said Act.
“Accordingly, the period from 7 am on April 9, 2026 (Thursday) to 6:30pm on April 29, 2026 (Wednesday) has been declared as the prohibited period for conducting, publishing or publicising exit polls by means of print or electronic media or dissemination in any other manner whatsoever, in connection with the ongoing General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Assam, 2026,” the notification read.
“Further, it is clarified that as per Section 126(1)(b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the display of any election matter, including the results of any opinion poll or any other poll survey, in any electronic media shall be prohibited during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for the conclusion of the poll in connection with the General Election,” it added.
