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The Election Commission of India has issued an advisory connected the opening of the 48-hour soundless play successful presumption of the upcoming Assembly Elections successful West Bengal, Assam, Puducherry, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
In the advisory, the ECI has issued strict guidelines for media platforms to guarantee a just voting environment.
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What is the soundless period?
The soundless play is the clip (usually 48 hours) earlier the polling time successful which the media and different nationalist accusation platforms are not allowed to disseminate contented that whitethorn power the results of the predetermination oregon favour immoderate 1 peculiar governmental party.
Under Section 126 (1)(b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, displaying “election matter” via tv oregon akin apparatus is prohibited during the 48 hours ending with the decision of the poll.
Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry are going to the ballot connected April 9, 2026. Tamil Nadu is going connected April 23. While West Bengal is holding polls successful 2 phases to beryllium held connected April 23 and April 29, 2026.
What if idiosyncratic violates the soundless period?
Any idiosyncratic who contravenes the provisions of this conception shall beryllium punishable with imprisonment for a word which whitethorn widen to 2 years, oregon with a fine, oregon both.
What is allowed and what is not during soundless period?
Section 126(1)(b) of the RP Act, 1951 prohibits displaying immoderate predetermination matter, including results of immoderate sentiment canvass oregon immoderate different canvass survey, successful immoderate physics media during these 48 hours successful each of the phases of elections. Political advertisements of immoderate benignant connected predetermination substance successful TV, cablegram networks, radio, cinema halls, usage of SMS/voice messages, audio ocular displays successful immoderate polling country during the 48 hr soundless play is prohibited.
During the soundless period, prima campaigners and different governmental leaders should refrain from addressing the media by mode of property conferences and giving interviews connected predetermination matters.
There is besides a prohibition connected the merchantability of liquor during this period. No spirituous, fermented oregon intoxicating liquors oregon immoderate different specified substance shall beryllium sold, fixed oregon distributed astatine immoderate constitution wrong the polling country during the 48 hr period.
What astir exit oregon sentiment polls?
The ECI has enforced a full prohibition connected the behaviour and dissemination of exit oregon sentiment polls to forestall them from influencing voters successful multi-phase oregon multi-state predetermination cycles.
They volition beryllium banned from 7.00 a.m. connected April 9, 2026, to 6.30 p.m. connected April 29, 2026. The prohibition applies to each states holding elections arsenic good arsenic 8 circumstantial bye-elections crossed Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland, and Tripura. The prohibition applies to print, electronic, and integer media.
