The Election Commission of India (ECI) has banned all exit polls pertaining to the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur, a notification released on Saturday stated.
"No person shall conduct any exit poll and publish or publicize by means of the print or electronic media or disseminate in any other manner, whatsoever, the result of any exit poll," read the notification.
Any person who violates the order will be punished with a two-year jail term or fine or both, the notification further stated.
The guidelines will take effect from 7 am on February 10 and will remain in place till 6.30 pm on March 7.
Earlier, the ECI announced the dates for the Assembly elections in the five states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur.
Uttar Pradesh will go to polls on February 10, 14, 20, 23 and March 3 and 7; Goa and Uttarakhand would vote on February 14; Punjab would go to polls on February 20; while Manipur will vote in two phases on February 27 and March 3.
