CEC slams exit polls, early trends show by news channels on counting day

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday slammed the practice of showing early trends on counting day by news channels as "nonsense".

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Kumar also said exit polls create a huge distraction by raising expectations and it was a matter for self-introspection for the media, particularly electronic media.

"We do not govern exit polls, but there is a need for self-introspection. What was the sample size, where was the survey done, how did the result come and what is my responsibility if I did not match to that result, are there disclosures – all of these need to be seen," Kumar said, flanked by two Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu.

The CEC said associations such as the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority should do some self-regulation.

"Counting happens roughly on the third day after the elections end. Expectations rise from 6 pm, but there is no scientific basis to this in public disclosure," he said.

"When counting starts, results start coming (in the media) from 8:05 am and 8:10 am. This is nonsense. My counting starts at 8:30 am," Kumar said, wondering whether the initial trends were shown in the media to justify exit polls.

The CEC said the Election Commission starts putting out trends or results on its website from 9:30 am onwards at two-hour intervals.

Kumar said that a correspondent of a media organization at counting stations can get results early, but the poll authority has to display the result on the screen, get the polling agents to sign it, and offer justification to observers.

"It may take 30 minutes for the results to come on the official website," he said.

"So, when the actual results start coming in, there is a mismatch. That mismatch can lead to serious issues sometimes. The gap between expectations and achievements is nothing but frustration," the CEC said.

The Congress had questioned the delay in displaying results on the Election Commission website in the recently concluded Haryana assembly polls.