The Additional Chief Electoral Officer (ACEO) Vijay Kumar Jogdande has said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has prohibited the publication and broadcasting of exit polls after the start of voting for the first phase of elections till half an hour after the end of voting in the last phase of the elections. Interacting with media-persons here on Tuesday the ACEO said that 48 hours before the voting day there will be a ban on opinion polls.
He said that only authorised media personnel having valid passes issued by ECI will be allowed to enter the polling booths and polling stations. For coverage inside the booth the authorised media persons should have to take permission of the presiding officer.
The coverage of the voting compartment by the media persons will remain prohibited. This will be done to ensure that the secrecy of the voting is not breached.
Jogdande said that the district election officers concerned will make the arrangement of the entry of authorised media personnel into the counting centres. A media chamber will be set up at the counting centre where arrangement of printer, laptop and LED screen will be made for the media persons.
