NEW DELHI: Even as TV channels have been telecasting exit and other polls, the fate of the whole issue would depend on the stand that is taken by the Supreme Court on 26 April.

On 26 April, Maharashtra goes to poll and most TV channels have lined up mega shows based on polls in the run-up to the counting day, 13 May.

The Supreme Court will hear next week a public interest litigation seeking a ban on telecast and publication of exit polls till the final phase of polling was over on May 10, United News of India reported today.

Filed by advocate D K Thakur, a bench of Justices R C Lahoti and Ashok Bhan fixed 26 April as the date of hearing when the petitioner sought an early date of hearing. The petitioner had contended that exit polls amount to an interference with the process of free and fair elections.

Dissemination of such results of opinion and exit polls receive wide publicity on the eve of elections and have a deleterious effect and influence on the electors when they are in the process of making their mind to exercise their franchise, the petitioner said, UNI reports.

It is also well known that the results of such polls have always been wide off the mark, the petitioner added.