EC Mandates Pre-Certification of Print Ads Ahead of Kerala Polls
The Election Commission of India has directed all political parties and candidates contesting the Kerala Assembly elections on April 9 to obtain prior certification before publishing any advertisements in print media on polling day and its eve. The आदेश, issued by Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar, mandates that no political advertisement be released on April 8 and 9 without clearance from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at the state or district level.
The directive emphasizes that misleading, offensive, or inflammatory advertisements released during the final phase of elections can compromise the integrity of the electoral process. It noted that at such a critical stage, affected parties often do not get sufficient time to respond or counter such content, thereby potentially influencing voters unfairly.
Invoking its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution, which grants it authority over the conduct of elections, the Commission stated that all proposed advertisements must be submitted to the relevant MCMC at least two days prior to publication. The move aims to ensure transparency and maintain a level playing field in the final stretch of the electoral process.
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