Assam polls: Exit poll ban from April 9, 7 am; Kamrup (M) enforces curbs
Silence period begins 5 pm in Assam, restricting campaigns to limited door-to-door outreach ahead of polling day
Security personnel conduct checks on small vehicles ahead of polls. (Photo:PTI)
Guwahati, Apr 7: With Assam set to vote on April 9, the Election Commission has barred the conduct and dissemination of exit polls from 7 am on polling day until 6.30 pm on April 29, covering all five Assembly elections scheduled this month.
The poll panel said any violation of the restriction under Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, is punishable with “imprisonment of up to two years, or fine, or both”.
Assam, along with Kerala and Puducherry, will go to polls on April 9, while Tamil Nadu votes on April 23. In West Bengal, polling will be held on April 23 and April 29.
As part of the Model Code of Conduct, the 48-hour silence period in Assam will come into force from 5 pm on April 7, marking the end of public campaigning ahead of polling.
During this period, rallies, public meetings and other forms of campaign activity are prohibited, with only limited door-to-door outreach permitted.
Reinforcing these restrictions on the ground, the Kamrup (Metropolitan) district administration has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, to ensure peaceful conduct of the elections.
In an order issued by District Magistrate and District Election Officer Swapneel Paul, assembly of five or more persons in public places has been barred across the district, except in the vicinity of polling stations for voting purposes.
The administration has also banned the entry of outside political functionaries, including campaign managers and party workers not registered as voters in the constituency. Use of loudspeakers, whether mounted on vehicles or otherwise, has been disallowed during the silence period.
Further, candidates and political parties have been prohibited from setting up booths or carrying out canvassing activities within a 100-metre radius of polling stations.
Authorities said the measures are aimed at maintaining public order and ensuring free and fair polling in Kamrup (Metro), even as enforcement remains a challenge in the digital campaign space.