NEW DELHI: With pre-election opinion polls painting a gloomy picture for Congress , the party wants surveys to be banned prior to elections and has told the Election Commission (EC) that such exercises are prone to manipulation by vested interests.

Congress’s strong push for restrictions on opinion polls coincides with surveys showing Congress on a downslide and predicting a rout for the party in assembly elections in four key states slated for November and December.

The EC has sought the opinion of political parties on the issue of banning opinion polls.

In its reply, AICC legal department secretary K C Mittal said, “(the party) fully endorses the views of the ECI to restrict publication and dissemination of opinion polls during the election .... In fact, the opinion polls during election are neither scientific nor is there any transparent process for such polls.”

Mittal warned random surveys conducted during the elections “lack credibility" and could be "manipulated and manoeuvred" by the "vested interests".

Presently, opinion polls are barred 48 hours before the voting and the results cannot be disseminated during this period. Exit polls cannot be revealed until all phases of elections in states or nationally are over.

The ruling party has displayed hostility towards surveys that it said do not help in strengthening the democratic institutions and are mostly erroneous.

"These are contrary to the basic electoral concept and process undertaken by the EC in discharge of its obligations. As such we appreciate the initiative taken by EC," Mittal said.