Following the anouncemnt of poll schedules for the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar at a press conference on Tuesday strongly criticised the practice of showing early trends on counting day by news channels and termed the practice as "non🐬sense" .
Addressing a press conference, Kumar also said exit polls create a huge distraction by rais🌸ing expectations and it was a matter for self-introspection for the media, particularly electronic media.
What all did EC say?
Commenting on the exit polls, Kumar said, "We do not govern exꦦit 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 the✃re disclosures – all of these need to be seen."The poll body also suggested that associations such as the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority should focus on 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 added.
Slamming the practice of running early trends on vote counting day, Kumar said, "When counting starts, results start coming (iꩲn the media) from 8:05 am and 8:10 am. This is nonsense. My counting starts at 8:30 am." According to the head of the apex poll body, the Election Commission starts putting out trends or results on its website from 9:30 am onwards at two🧜-hour intervals.
Kumar also added that a media correspondent can get results early, but the poll authority has to display the result on the screen, get the polling agents to sign it, and offe🎐r justification to observers.
"It may take 30 min💖utes for the results to come on the official weܫbsite," he said.
"So, when the actual results start coming in, there is a mis꧂match. That mismatch can lead to serious issues sometimes. The gap between expectations and achievements is nothing but frustration," the CEC said.
Recently during the announcement of Haryna assembly election results on October 8, the Congress had raised questions on the delay in displaying results on the Election Commission website. The Congress had complained about a time lag between the announcements and the live counting in progress at various centres. ✃;
Reacting to the allegation, Kumar said, "It is not as if the trends🔯 exist to justify theও exit polls," Mr Kumar said today.
EC rejects EVM tampering allegations
Besides critic🌳ising the exit polls and early trends, the apex poll body on Tuesday rej🍨ected Congress leaders' claims of EVM tampering in some Haryana seats where machines with varying battery strength gave out different results.
Regarding the issue of battery strength affecting results, the CEC said earlier allega�𝔉�tions of hacking were made "but this has come up for the first time".
"Now we are thin💮king what next will🤪 come, we can't fathom. But certainly something new will come up," Kumar said.
He asserted that around six days prior to the poll day, electronic voting machines are commissioned and election symbols of candidates are loaded and a new battery is install🌳ed which has signatures of candidates or their aut🐎horised agents.
"Leave alone EVM, even batteries (installed) have signatures of candidates. Even we were not aware (of this rule) as it was framed long back. Now it is helping us," he said responding to a series of questions on the reliability ✅of the machines and concerns flagged on battery.
Commneting on the 20𓆏 complaints received regarding 🦩EVMs during the recently ended Haryana elections, EC said, "We will give a detailed response to each of the complaints and put our response in public domain."
He also said EC will com🌳e out with a detaile♐d 'FAQs' to satisfy all stakeholders.
