Meghalaya elections: No exit polls, silence period from 4 pm tomorrow

Shillong: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has banned exit polls in Meghalaya from 7 am on Friday to 7 pm on February 27, the day of the polling. No campaigning is allowed from 4 pm on Saturday.

The ECI has issued an advisory saying mobile phones cannot be taken inside voting compartments of polling booths across the state. Chief Electoral Officer FR Kharkongor said: "As per ECI protocols, exit polls are banned in the state from 7 am on February 24 till 7 pm on February 27. The silence period for campaigning will begin from 4 pm tomorrow (February 25)."

According to the CEO, of the 3,419 polling booths of the state, 640 are identified as 'vulnerable', 323 are 'critical' and 84 are both. Around 119 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) have been deployed across the state ahead of the elections. "A total of 53 observers - 20 general observers, 21 expenditure observers, and 12 police observers - are on the job to ensure that the elections are free, fair, and peaceful," said the CEO.

Votes will be counted on March 2.