File photo of Congress' Digvijaya Singh
New Delhi:
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has said that while a total ban on opinion polls would be "undemocratic", his party believes that the results of these polls must not be declared in the last 48 hours before voting is held.
"In a country of 1.2 billion people, how can a few thousand people predict the trend?" said Mr Singh to NDTV today.
BJP leaders say that recent opinion polls reflect the surging popularity of their prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, and that the Congress can smell defeat and is therefore keen to bury the results. "When the opinion polls favoured the Congress, they didn't oppose (opinion polls)... and now with predictions of BJP win, they call for a ban" said BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi.
By December 4, five states will choose their next government. National elections are due by May. Currently, opinion polls cannot be conducted, or their results declared, in the last 48 hours before voting is held.
Last month, the Election Commission asked the government to consider a ban on opinion polls once elections are declared. The government asked that national and regional political parties be consulted. But the Congress, which anchors the ruling coalition at the Centre, was unambiguous about its stand. A written letter said the party "fully endorses the views of the Election Commission of India to restrict publication and dissemination of opinion polls during the election".
The Commission says that many parties have complained that polls are unscientific and biased, partly because they use small sample sizes, and the results prejudice voters. "While some parties were in favour of opinion polls not being allowed, right from the date of announcement of elections by the Commission, a large number of parties were in favour of such restrictions being applied from the date of notification for the elections," it says.
"In a country of 1.2 billion people, how can a few thousand people predict the trend?" said Mr Singh to NDTV today.
BJP leaders say that recent opinion polls reflect the surging popularity of their prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, and that the Congress can smell defeat and is therefore keen to bury the results. "When the opinion polls favoured the Congress, they didn't oppose (opinion polls)... and now with predictions of BJP win, they call for a ban" said BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi.
By December 4, five states will choose their next government. National elections are due by May. Currently, opinion polls cannot be conducted, or their results declared, in the last 48 hours before voting is held.
Last month, the Election Commission asked the government to consider a ban on opinion polls once elections are declared. The government asked that national and regional political parties be consulted. But the Congress, which anchors the ruling coalition at the Centre, was unambiguous about its stand. A written letter said the party "fully endorses the views of the Election Commission of India to restrict publication and dissemination of opinion polls during the election".
The Commission says that many parties have complained that polls are unscientific and biased, partly because they use small sample sizes, and the results prejudice voters. "While some parties were in favour of opinion polls not being allowed, right from the date of announcement of elections by the Commission, a large number of parties were in favour of such restrictions being applied from the date of notification for the elections," it says.
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