The Hindu : Front Page : Parties seek ban on opinion polls from the date of notification

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Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004

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Parties seek ban on opinion polls from the date of notification

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI, APRIL 6. Participants at an all-party meeting convened here today by the Election Commission were unanimous that opinion polls should be banned from the date of notification of the poll process.

All the parties were also of the view that when a general election was held in different phases, the results of exit polls should not be permitted to be published or telecast until the close of polling in the last phase of the election. There was a consensus that opinion and exit polls influenced the minds of the electorate and hence should be banned. Representatives of six national and 18 State political parties attended the meeting. Later in the day, the Commission said that in the light of the views expressed, it was reviewing the matter in detail and would make its recommendations shortly.

However, on ``personalised attacks'' in the election campaign, there was a difference of opinion. All the parties sought a clear definition of "personal attack" stating that the reference to it in the model code of conduct was not clear on several aspects.

The Bharatiya Janata Party said that while it favoured a ban on personal attacks, including character assassination, the "foreign origin issue" was not covered under the ambit of personal attack. The BJP leader, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, said that "it is the core political issue for his party.'' The Election Commission should ban opinion polls on the first day of the poll notification. Since the notification had already been issued, opinion polls should be banned with immediate effect, he said.

The Congress spokesman, Kapil Sibal, told reporters that the parties felt that opinion polls were meant to create ``opinion making polls'' in favour of a certain party. As for exit polls, he said they should be allowed only after the votes in the last phase of the elections are cast.

Mr. Sibal said the Commission should clarify what constituted a personal attack. Whatever the Commission said would be acceptable to the Oppositionparties. If the Commission felt that attacks of a personal nature were being made, then it should intervene suo motu. The parties on their part would see to it that no personal attacks were made during campaigning. The Commission would call a meeting of all parties again and give its views.

Mr. Sibal said that no astrological prediction or betting about the likely results should be allowed and there should not be any constituency-level opinion polls, Mr. Sibal said.

On the issue of telecast of political advertisements, the Commission said that since the matter was pending before the Supreme Court it would give its opinion after the Court pronounced its verdict.

The CPI secretary, D. Raja, said money power was playing a major role in the polls and in the absence of state funding, major political parties were using black money and corporate funds. He wanted a level playing field so that the smaller parties espousing the cause of the poor were not discriminated. On personal attacks, he regretted that some leaders event went to the extent of demanding DNA tests for the children of certain leaders and hence there must be a proper definition of what constituted personal attacks.

Nilotpal Basu (CPI-M) also wanted a ban on opinion and exit polls. The central committee member of the CPI (Marxist-Leninist), Brij Bihari Pandey, said the Commission must take action against any personal attacks not only at the national level but also at the constituency level.

The general secretary of the Janata Dal (United), Javed Raza, sought a ban on exit and opinion polls saying they caused ``confusion'' and could influence the results.

The sample base used for such polls was ``limited'' and unknown.

The All-India Forward Bloc secretary, G. Devarajan, said all the opinion poll surveys must be banned the moment the announcement of polls was made. Exit polls could be conducted but the result should be released only after the polls.

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