The Election Commission of India has ordered that FIRs be lodged against an agency and a newspaper in Uttar Pradesh for conducting and publishing an exit poll on the first phase of the Assembly elections. While there is merit in the order of the EC not to publicise exit polls until the entire process is completed, prohibition on conducting a poll is still debatable. The EC has earned a reputation for itself for its meticulous planning and non-partisan approach to elections. The decision of the newspaper, or rather the open defiance poses a serious challenge to the authority of the EC. The effectiveness of the EC lies in its ability to act quickly during the election process. Its weakness lies in following up cases booked during the process. The FIRs will be lodged but will the case be taken to its logical conclusion? The officers filing the case will revert to the State government after the elections and so will the investigating officers. In such a situation how will the case progress? In this age and time FIRs scare no one and certainly not a media organisation. The EC has to follow this case to the end or risk losing its authority.
