The Election Commission of India (ECI) has reminded candidates and political parties participating in the upcoming Assembly elections and bypolls about the 48-hour silence period. This period, starting on April 7 at 6 p.m., prohibits the broadcast of opinion polls and election-related content. In Assam, the silence period will begin earlier at 5 p.m. on April 7 and end with the conclusion of voting on April 9 at 5 p.m.
The ECI has emphasized that the release of Exit Poll results is restricted until the completion of voting on April 9 and April 29. TV, radio channels, and cable networks have been warned against displaying opinion polls during this silence period. Section 126 (1)(b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, strictly prohibits the dissemination of any election-related content through television or similar means in any polling area during the 48-hour silence period leading up to the polls.
The ECI has highlighted that any violation of Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 can lead to imprisonment for up to two years, a fine, or both. It has instructed TV channels and cable networks to ensure that their broadcasts during the silence period do not contain any material that could be seen as favoring any party or candidate or influencing the election outcome.
In states like Kerala, Puducherry, Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland, and Tripura, where bypolls are scheduled for April 9, the 48-hour silence period will commence on the evening of April 7. For the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly election, and the Gujarat and Maharashtra bypolls, the silence period will start on April 21 evening. The second phase of the West Bengal Assembly election will observe the silence period from 6 p.m. on April 27 until the end of voting on April 29.
The ECI had previously announced the election schedule for Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, along with bypolls in eight Assembly constituencies. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar reiterated the commitment to conducting fair and impartial elections, with results set to be declared on May 4.
