'Exit polls create major distortions': CEC Rajiv Kumar as Congress questions Haryana results  

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday said that exit polls create a "major distortion" as it sets a certain kind of expectation for the counting day. He also said that the poll body puts out the first trend at 9:30, so flashing the results right after 8 am is "nonsense".

"A major distortion is being created due to Exit Polls and expectations set by it. This is a matter of deliberation and introspection for the Press, especially for electronic media," Kumar said while responding to a question on exit polls that failed to capture the trend in Haryana. 

When asked whether the commission has planned to take any measure, Kumar said the EC does not govern this. "First, an Exit Poll comes - we don't govern it. But there is a need for self-introspection, that what was the sample size, where was the survey done, how did the result come and what is my responsibility if I did not match to that result, are there disclosures - all of these need to be seen. There are bodies that govern this. I am sure the time has come that associations/bodies which govern, will do some self-regulation."

The CEC said that counting happens roughly on the third day after the elections end. "Expectations rise from 6 pm, but there is no scientific base to this (exit polls). When counting begins, results start pouring in at 8.05-8.10 am. This is nonsense. The first counting (of EVMs) begins at 8.30 am. We start putting the results at 9.30 am on the website. So, when the actual results start coming in, there is a mismatch," he added.  

Kumar warned that this mismatch can lead to serious issues sometimes. "The gap between expectations and achievements is nothing but frustration. So, this issue is such that needs some deliberation."

The CEC's comment comes amid charges by the Congress against the commission that there were some lapses during the counting of votes for Haryana. The Congress was hoping for a landslide win in Haryana and almost all exit polls had predicted 50-plus seats for the grand old party.

However, the Congress suffered a massive defeat and could win just 37 seats. The Congress blamed EVMs in almost 20 seats, where it alleged that some tampering had taken place during the counting of votes.  

Today, Kumar countered the Congress, saying EVMs are absolutely safe and robust. "Look at the last 15-20 elections. It is giving results after results differently. It can't be that it is wrong only the results are not to your liking."