CEC pitches for firmer poll code

Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi on Sunday said opinion and exit polls “should at best be on entertainment channels”, even as he called for strengthening of the model code of conduct while opposing any move of the Government to grant statutory backing to the model code of conduct.

“Opinion and exit polls should at best be on entertainment channels!,” Mr. Quraishi tweeted on Sunday afternoon, taking a dig at the exit poll results being telecast on various news channels.

The CEC also told a TV channel that any move by the government to make the model code of conduct a statutory provision would “kill” it.

He said that if anyone tried to violate the model code of conduct, the EC now has the power to act immediately against the offender, but if the statutory backing is given to the MCC, “it would result in delays.”

On the model code of conduct, he was also quoted by news agencies as saying, “We do not require any more powers. The Model Code of Conduct is sufficient. But we need to finetune and update certain provisions of the Representation of People’s Act to make penalties for violation of MCC more stringent.

“The current fines for violations of MCC under the Act are ridiculous. For instance, there is a fine of only `500 prescribed under the Act for a violation, which needs to be updated to bring it in line with the current realities.”