The Election Commission of India has released detailed guidelines regarding the pre-certification of political advertisements in print media for the upcoming Assembly elections and bye-elections. These guidelines aim to maintain a fair campaign environment. No political party, candidate, organization, or individual is allowed to publish any advertisement in print media on the poll day or one day before without prior certification from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at the state or district level.
As per the guidelines, individual candidates and other applicants can seek certification from the District MCMC, while recognized political parties based in a state or union territory can apply to the state-level MCMC. Pre-certification of print advertisements will be mandatory on specific dates according to the poll schedule. For states like Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry with polling on April 9, pre-certification is required for ads published on April 8 and 9.
In Tamil Nadu, where polling is scheduled for April 23, advertisements on April 22 and 23 must be pre-certified. West Bengal, having polling in two phases on April 23 and April 29, requires pre-certification on April 22 and 23 for Phase I, and April 28 and 29 for Phase II. The ECI has emphasized that applications for pre-certification need to be submitted at least two days before the intended publication date. MCMCs at both state and district levels are activated to promptly review and approve advertisements.
The committees are also responsible for closely monitoring instances of paid news in the media and taking necessary actions. The Election Commission reported significant enforcement actions in poll-bound states on April 5. Enforcement agencies have confiscated illegal cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals, and freebies worth over Rs 650 crore to ensure fair elections free from inducements. Since the activation of the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS) on February 26, a total seizure of Rs 651.51 crore has been recorded, indicating enhanced monitoring and strict enforcement measures in election-bound areas.
