Opinion polls: Congress leaders approach EC

New Delhi, Feb 27: The

has approached the Election Commission seeking its intervention to check false opinion polls. The party's move comes a day after a news channel exposed 11 opinion poll agencies who allegedly 'fixed' the survey results.

Congress leaders Ajay Maken and KC Mittal met the commission on Wednesday to discuss the alleged poll surveys which favoured BJP. The surveys took money to predict BJP's win in the upcoming polls, Congress alleged.

The Congress leaders highlighted how the channel sting operation had exposed the big names in the business, wwho indulged in the malpractice and "influencing" the voters' judgment.

Maken requested the EC to look into the matter and devise ways to bring these "fraudulent" poll survey agencies to book.

However, senior EC officials feel the panel can do little against companies "exposed" in the sting operation as the general elections have not yet been announced, said a Times of India report.

EC can take steps only after the model code of conduct comes into play, after the poll dates are declared.

"We will certainly look into the matter. Whatever legal action that needs to be taken, that will be duly examined," Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath told newspersons at an event here.

"As far as opinion polls are concerned, Commission has taken a view, not today but ten years back in 2004 after... an all-party meeting. The ball is in the court of the government," he underlined.

A sting operation by a private channel had exposed the opinon poll surveys conducted by an organisation 'C-Voter'. The survey results are largely fixed, said the channel.

Oneindia News