Ahead of the April 9 Kerala Assembly elections, a Congress leader has formally approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking a complete ban on the publication and telecast of pre-poll surveys.
In his petition, Congress leader Advocate J S Akhil stated that the pre-poll surveys have the potential to influence voter sentiment and election outcomes. He claimed that the “unscientific” surveys are designed to mislead the public and can unduly influence neutral voters by creating an artificial wave in favor of a particular front.
He argues that these surveys violate the spirit of a fair election by giving an unfair psychological advantage to one side before a single vote is cast. He alleged that some news anchors create a “bandwagon effect” by predicting that certain candidates will win in specific constituencies, affecting undecided voters.
He also alleged that some media houses are being used as “political tools” to broadcast biased data under the guise of professional journalism. If there is no immediate intervention in the matter, he will approach the High Court.
The move came shortly after several pre-poll surveys, including one by Spick Media, projected a closely contested battle between the LDF and UDF, with some giving a slight edge to the incumbent LDF.