NEW DELHI, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- India's election commission has banned the exit poll for Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat local elections until evening of Dec. 14, officials said Wednesday.
Local elections in Himachal Pradesh will be held Thursday in single-phase and in Gujarat it would be held in two phases on Dec. 9 and 14.
The poll body said exit polls showing outcome of the Himachal Pradesh polls cannot be shown till both the phases of Gujarat polls are completed.
"There shall be restrictions on conduct of any exit poll and publication and dissemination of any result of such exit poll until both the phases of Gujarat polls are completed," a statement issued by India's election commission said.
Conducting any exit poll and publishing or publicizing by means of the print or electronic media or dissemination in any other manner shall be prohibited, said the statement.
It also said displaying any election matter, including results of any opinion poll or any other poll survey, in any electronic media, would be prohibited 48 hours prior to the election day.
In both the states there is tough competition between ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and opposition Congress.
In Himachal Pradesh Congress party is ruling the state, while as in Gujarat BJP has been governing the state. Both the parties are trying to unseat each other.
