The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) aimed at regulating the impact of exit polls on election outcomes, labeling the plea as a form of ‘political interest litigation’. The bench, headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and including Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, criticized the nature of the PIL filed by B L Jain.
In a succinct dismissal, Chief Justice Chandrachud remarked, “The government is already elected now. Let us now close the saga of what happens during elections and let us now get on with governance in the country.” He emphasized that the judiciary should not interfere with the electoral process and that governance must take precedence post-elections.
The court expressed confidence in the Election Commission’s ability to manage the complexities associated with exit polls and stated clearly, “This is a political interest litigation…Dismissed.” The justices reinforced the idea that the Election Commission is fully competent to handle matters related to exit polls and that it was not the role of the judiciary to run the election body.
The PIL by Jain had targeted several poll-surveying agencies and news channels, implicating them in potentially influencing electoral outcomes through premature data release. However, the court’s decision underscores a significant deference to the existing electoral regulatory framework and a call to focus on governance over continuous electoral litigation.
