Supreme Court says EC can ban exit polls

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday clarified that it had never prevented the Election Commission from banning exit polls and opinion surveys during elections.

"The Election Commission is free to frame its guidelines to regulate publication of exit polls," a bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice P. Sathasivam said.

The clarification came on a hearing of a lawsuit seeking a ban on such polls.

A bill to ban such polls has been passed by the Rajya Sabha and has been pending before the Lok Sabha.