The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed that no political party or candidate or any other organisation or person should publish any advertisement in the print media on poll day and one day prior to poll day, unless the contents of political advertisements are Pre-certified by ECI from the MCMC Committee at the State/District level.
ECI, in a letter addressed to the chief electoral officer of all states and Union Territories on Monday stated that the same will apply in the case of political advertisements to be published in the print media in circulation in the states/UTs going to poll, spanning seven phases starting April 19 with immediate effect.
It asserted that instances of advertisements of offending and misleading nature published in print media have been brought to the notice of the commission in the past. Such advertisements in the last stage of the election vitiate the entire election process, it stated, adding that the affected candidates and parties will not have any opportunity of providing clarification/rebuttal in such cases.
It further maintained that the move was taken in order to ensure that such instances are not repeated, and no untoward incident takes place because of any inflammatory, misleading or hate advertisements. The commission carried out the same in exercise of its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution and all other powers enabling it in this behalf, it added.
It also informed that the applicants will have to apply to MCMC no later than two days prior to the proposed date of publication of advertisement. It further directed that in order to facilitate the process of pre-certification of the newspaper advertisements and as instructed above, MCMC at State district level be immediately alerted and activated in order to examine and per-certify all such advertisements received from the political parties and candidates and others.
It should also be ensured that the decision by MCMC is made expeditiously, it maintained. The said direction of the commission may be brought to the notice of presidents of all political parties, contesting candidates and newspapers in the state and also given wide publicity to all media of mass communication for general information and strict compliance, it mentioned.
