New Delhi, April 6 (IANS). The Election Commission of India on Monday issued detailed guidelines on pre-certification of political advertisements in print media for the upcoming assembly elections and by-elections. Its objective is to ensure a free and fair electoral environment.
The Election Commission had on March 15 announced the schedule of assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal as well as by-elections in six states.
The Election Commission said that no political party, candidate, organization or individual shall publish any advertisement in the print media on or a day before the election unless it obtains certification from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at the state or district level.
The Commission clarified that individual candidates and other applicants can approach the district MCMC for certification, while recognized political parties having their headquarters in a State or Union Territory can apply to the state-level MCMC.
As per the election schedule, pre-certification of print advertisements will be mandatory on certain dates. Voting for Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will be held on April 9. For this, pre-certification will be necessary for the advertisements published on April 8 and 9. Voting will be held in Tamil Nadu on 23 April. The pre-certification here will be applicable to the advertisements of 22nd and 23rd April.
Voting will be held in West Bengal in two phases on April 23 and April 29. Here pre-certification will be mandatory for the first phase on April 22 and 23, and for the second phase on April 28 and 29.
The Election Commission of India has directed that applications for pre-certification should be submitted at least two days before the scheduled date of publication of the advertisement. To ease the process, MCMCs have been activated at both the state and district levels to scrutinize and approve advertisements immediately.
These committees have also been entrusted with the task of keeping a close watch on the cases of ‘paid news’ in the media and taking appropriate action wherever necessary.
Meanwhile, the Commission had said on April 5 that it has taken several important steps regarding enforcement in the election-bound states. It said that the agencies have so far seized more than Rs 650 crore in illegal cash, liquor, narcotics, precious metals and freebies, so that the elections can be conducted without any inducement.
–IANS
ASH/VC