New Delhi, April 2 (NationPress) The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a reminder on Thursday to candidates and political parties participating in the Assembly elections and bypolls scheduled for April 9. A strict 48-hour silence period will commence on April 7 at 6 p.m., during which the broadcast of opinion polls and election-related content is strictly prohibited, according to an official announcement.

In the state of Assam, the silence period will initiate earlier, starting at 5 p.m. on April 7 and concluding with the voting on April 9 at 5 p.m., as confirmed by the statement from the ECI. Additionally, the release of Exit Poll results is strictly forbidden until after the voting concludes on April 9 and April 29.

The election authority cautioned television and radio broadcasters, as well as cable outlets, to refrain from airing opinion polls during this silence period.

The ECI highlighted that Section 126 (1)(b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, explicitly prohibits the display of any election-related content via television or similar media within polling areas during the 48-hour silence period, which ends at the close of polling.

Any infringement of Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, may lead to penalties including imprisonment for a maximum of two years, fines, or both, as stated in their announcement.

The ECI further emphasized that all broadcast content during the silence period must not include any material that could be interpreted as promoting or detracting from any specific party or candidate, nor should it influence the election's outcome.

In the regions of Kerala and Puducherry, the silence period will also start at 6 p.m. on April 7 and will end at 6 p.m. on the voting day, April 9, as noted in the release.

Given that bypolls are set to occur in Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland, and Tripura on April 9, the silence period for these states will similarly commence on the evening of April 7.

The ECI also mentioned that the silence period for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, the initial phase of the West Bengal Assembly election, and bypolls in Gujarat and Maharashtra will begin on the evening of April 21.

For the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly election, the silence period will kick off at 6 p.m. on April 27 and conclude at 6 p.m. on April 29, just as voting finishes.

On March 15, the ECI revealed the electoral schedule for the Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, along with bypolls for eight Assembly constituencies across Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland, and Tripura.

Reaffirming its commitment to conducting elections free from violence and inducement, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced that the results for both the Assembly elections and bypolls will be made public on May 4.