Exit poll: ECI to keep a watch on social media till May 12

As disseminating exit poll results is banned till May 12, sharing any such information through social media will also be under strict watch by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anil Kumar Jha said the ECI has issued a set of guidelines in the wake of election process starting in the country from Monday.

“Polling would start in five constituencies of the country on Monday. There will be a total ban on releasing exit poll results till 6 pm on May 12 under the relevant sections of the  Representation of People’s Act.  Releasing the exit poll results through electronic or print media shall be prohibited. Disseminating the poll results by any other manner is also not allowed,” said Jha. 

He added that there will also be a total ban on poll surveys, analysis and opinion polls 48 hours prior to the elections.

The CEO said a fresh set of  guidelines have come regarding the alternative documents other than the Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC), which can be produced as an identity card for casting votes.

People can produce passports, driving licence, service identity card with picture issued by the Central government, state government, public sector units or a public limited company, passbooks with pictures, PAN card, Aadhaar card, National Population Registration Card, MGNREGS job card, health insurance card and pension documents with photo identity proof will also be accepted at the polling stations, he said.

Seizures

On Saturday a huge quantity of sarees and cooking vessels, along with cash, was seized.

Jha said sarees worth Rs 50 lakh were seized in Thippenahalli near Nandi Hills at Chikkaballapur, 379 cotton sarees in Therwadi in Hubli and 39 sarees in Shahpur in Yadgir district. Again in Shahpur, 162 cooking vessels were seized. A cash of Rs 16.49 lakh was seized from four houses in Honnur town in Kunigal.

The flying squad also seized 432 litres of liquor and 226 bottles of beer in Afzalpur in Gulbarga district and 86 litres in Raichur.

“So far we have seized liquor worth Rs 2.14 crore, Rs 5.01 crore in cash and other items worth Rs 1.17 crore items,” said Jha.