Manipulation of opinion polls: EC asks Centre to take action

New Delhi, March 1: Acting on a complaint by Congress on alleged manipulation of opinion polls by some organisations, the Election Commission has asked the Centre to take "appropriate action" in the matter.

In a communication to the ministries of Corporate Affairs and Information and Broadcasting, the EC has said the matter involves allegations of conspiracy to prepare false reports/polls for publishing misleading information on consideration of illegal payment of money in return.

"Therefore, it is requested that this complaint may be looked into urgently for appropriate action at your end," K Ajaya Kumar, the Principal Secretary of Election Commission of India wrote to the secretaries of the two ministries.

The EC said that it has received a complaint from Congress on a sting operation conducted by some of the organisations engaged in conducting opinion polls in connection with the elections.

Congress had complaint on the alleged manipulation of opinion polls

"The allegation is that the organisations have agreed to manipulate the results of opinion polls by tweaking figures for publishing to the general public," the poll panel noted.

Taking exception to alleged manipulation of opinion poll results by leading agencies, Congress had on Wednesday knocked at the EC's doors seeking its intervention to register an FIR, invoke criminal charges and debar those involved.

Expressing happiness over the EC's decision, the Secretary of AICC Legal and Human Department cell K C Mittal said, "The action taken would expose the nexus, manipulations and the vulnerability of opinion polls and the manner in which the fake projections are being used to mislead the people of India to project certain individuals and parties."

PTI