EC free time to J'khand, JK parties for canvassing on DD, AIR

Election Commission today allotted broadcast and telecast time to political parties for carrying out their election campaigns on Doordarshan and All India Radio for the upcoming assembly elections in Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir.
The EC has decided to extend the scheme of equitable time sharing on electronic media through Prasar Bharati Corporation and the use of broadcast and telecast time will be available only to national parties and recognised state parties.
This facility will be available from Regional Kendras of AIR and Doordarshan and in the headquarters of Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir and relayed by other stations within the respective states.

The EC said a base time of 45 minutes will be given to each national party and recognised state party (recognised in the respective state) uniformly on the Regional Kendras of Doordarshan and All India Radio in the poll-bound states.
The additional time to be allotted to the parties has been decided on the basis of their poll performance in the last Assembly election, the EC held.
No party will, however, be allotted more than 15 minutes in a single session of broadcast.
The period of broadcast and telecast will be between the last date of filing the nominations and two days before the date of poll in these poll-bound states.

The telecasts or broadcasts, the EC said, on these state-owned mass media will not permit criticism of other countries, attack on religions or communities, anything obscene or defamatory, incitement of violence, anything amounting to contempt of court, aspersion against the integrity of the President and Judiciary, anything affecting the unity, sovereignty and integrity of the Nation and any criticism by name of any person.