New Delhi, April 7 The Election Commission has stated that exit polls cannot be conducted or disseminated from 7 am on April 9 until 6:30 pm on April 29 for the five assembly elections taking place this month.
It has also cautioned that conducting or broadcasting exit polls during this period is a violation of Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and is "punishable with imprisonment for a period of up to two years, or with a fine, or both".
While elections in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry are scheduled for April 9, the electoral exercise will be held in Tamil Nadu on April 23.
Elections in West Bengal will be held on April 23 and 29.
The 48-hour 'silent period' in Kerala and Puducherry will begin at 6 pm on Tuesday, while it will start at 5 pm in Assam.
The 'silent period' refers to the end of campaigning 48 hours before the end of voting in a particular constituency or the entire state.
Except for door-to-door campaigning by a limited number of party workers or candidates, no other form of campaigning is allowed. However, in the digital age, this is difficult to enforce.
Voting is usually held from 7 am to 6 pm. However, the timing varies due to terrain and security situation.
