'No leak, only speculation,' says poll date reveal probe

A probe by the Election Commission concluded that the poll schedule of Karnataka was not leaked before Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat formally announced it on March 27.

A committee constituted by the poll panel to probe the alleged leak came to the conclusion that a national news channel had merely speculated the dates of polling and counting for the Assembly elections in the state and aired it just before the Chief Election Commissioner could announce it. The committee pointed it out that the TV channel could correctly speculate only the date of polling, but had got the date of counting wrong.

The committee, in its report to the poll panel, noted that the "alleged leak was not a leak, but mere speculation".

The probe panel comprised of senior officials of the EC. It was constituted just hours after the EC held a press-conference at its headquarters in Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi to announce the schedule of the elections.