Poll panel can decide on exit polls: SC

The Supreme Court has clarified that it had never prevented the Election Commission from banning exit polls and opinion surveys during elections.

The Supreme Court ON Monday clarified that it had never prevented the Election Commission from banning exit polls and opinion surveys during elections.

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"The Election Commission is free to frame its guidelines to regulate publication of exit polls," a bench of Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan and Justice P Sathasivam said.

The clarification came on a hearing of a lawsuit seeking a ban on such polls.

A bill to ban such polls has been passed by the Rajya Sabha and has been pending before the Lok Sabha.