Exit polls on Himachal, Gujarat election only after 14 December evening, says EC official

New Delhi: People will have to wait till the evening of 14 December to know the outcome of the exit polls on Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat Assembly elections, a senior Election Commission functionary said on Thursday.The official pointed to recent Election Commission directives, orders and election laws to remind that exit polls can be telecast half-an-hour after the end of polling in all the phases and states.While the single-phase Assembly election in Himachal Pradesh will be held on 9 November, the first phase of polls in Gujarat will take place on 9 December. The second phase will be held on 14 December.But exit polls showing outcome of the Himachal Pradesh polls cannot take place till both the phases of Gujarat polls are completed.The poll panel may formally come out with a fresh direction on the issue in the coming days.Existing law allows the Election Commission to ban opinion polls 48 hours prior to voting.