EC sets rider on Bengal poll-day print ads

Cracking the whip on "misleading and offending" advertisements appearing in print media on polling day or a day before, the election commission (EC) on Thursday set a rider on all such advertisements.

Ahead of the fifth phase of assembly polls in West Bengal, the EC ordered that all advertisements appearing in print media on or before the day of polling -- April 29, 30 -- will have to be cleared in advance by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee at the state/district level.

Advertising in electronic media 24 hours before the polling is already banned.

"Instances of advertisements of offending and misleading nature have been brought to the commission's notice in the past, published in print media. Such advertisements vitiate the election," the EC wrote in a letter to the chief electoral officer of West Bengal.

"The election commission, in exercise of its powers, hereby directs that no political party or candidate or any other organisation or person shall publish any advertisement in the print media on April 29 and April 30, unless the advertisements are got pre-certified from Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC)," the letter read.

The EC has also directed newspapers to not publish any advertisements which have not been cleared by the MCMC.

--IANS

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