SP urges ECI to stop airing of Uttar Pradesh opinion polls
Airing of the opinion polls is a violation of the model code of conduct and they can misguide the voters and influence the elections, SP stated in the letter.
Lucknow: Samajwadi Party has urged the Election Commission of India to stop the opinion polls from being aired on some news channels.
SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said that, “our party state unit chief Naresh Uttam Patel has written a letter to the ECI stating that the voting for the final phase of the seven-phase UP elections will be held on March 7, while counting of votes will be held on March 10, in this juncture, the conduct of opinion polls are against the model code of conduct”, he said.
“Some news channels are showing opinion polls, which violates the model code of poll conduct, misguides the voters and also influences the poll," he added.
In the statement, Mr. Patel demanded that ECI has the responsibility to conduct free, fair and impartial elections. It should prevent the News channel from airing opinion polls with immediate effect, he argued.
Reacting to the plea, Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party's spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi termed it as "desperation" on the part of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who he claimed was staring at a possible electoral defeat.
