Election Commission announces ban on exit polls from 7 am to 6 pm on October 21

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday said that there would be a ban on the exit polls from 7 am to 6:30 pm on October 21 during the Legislative Assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra and by-elections to 51 assembly constituencies of 17 states.

"General Elections to the LAs of Haryana and Maharashtra and by-elections to 51 Assembly Constituencies of 17 States and 23-Samastipur (SC) PC in Bihar and 45-Satara PC in Maharashtra to be held simultaneously - Ban on EXIT POLL from 7 am to 6:30 pm on 21st October," Sheyphali Sharan, official spokesperson of EC tweeted.

Saran in another tweet wrote: "Also Displaying any election matter including results of any opinion poll or any other poll survey, in any electronic media, would b prohibited during the period of 48hrs ending with the hours fixed for conclusion of poll in the respective polling areas."

Elections to the 90-member Haryana Assembly will be held on October 21 along with the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.

The 17 states which also simultaneously elect candidates for their 51 assembly constituencies are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh. This is apart from the two parliamentary constituencies of Satara in Maharashtra and Samastipur in Bihar.

The counting of votes is scheduled to take place on October 24.