Agartala, September 5 (TIWN): The Election Commission of India (ECI) today announced restrictions on opinion polls, poll surveys or any forms of election matter displaying possible results of the exercise would be prohibited from 48 hours before the polls.

Publishing or publicizing by any means of the print or electronic media or dissemination in any other manner whatsoever, the result of any exit poll in connection with the current by-election process would be considered prohibited, secretary of ECI Ashish Chakraborty said in an official statement. The statement further said that displaying any election matter including opinion polls would be considered illegal from 48 hours before the date of poll.

Thirty six assembly constituencies across nine states including Tripura’s 39 Manu assembly constituency are set to go for by-polls on September 13. Counting of votes would be held on September 16.

In a separate notification, the Election Commission clarified that voters would be exempted from problems arising out of clerical errors, spelling mistakes on their EPIC cards, provided that the identity of the elector can be established with the EPIC. Photo Voters Slips would be considered for the purpose of identification on the date of poll, the notification said, provided that the slips were ‘authenticated’.

An expenditure observer and a general observer appointed by the Election Commission of India to oversee the by-election process at Manu assembly constituency are currently camping in the constituency since the past few weeks. There was no report of code of conduct violation till date.