EC makes pre-certification of political ads mandatory ahead of Bihar polls

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday directed all political parties and candidates to obtain pre-certification for their advertisements from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) ahead of the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections and bye-elections in eight constituencies across six States and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Bihar will vote in two phases on November 6 and 11, with counting of votes scheduled for November 14. The bye-elections across seven states and Union Territories will be held on November 11, and the results will be declared on the same day as Bihar's -- November 14.

In an official release, the ECI stated that every registered national and state political party, as well as all contesting candidates, are required to submit applications to the MCMC for pre-certification of all political advertisements on electronic media, including social media platforms, before they are released.

"MCMCs have been constituted at both the State and District levels to monitor compliance with the prescribed guidelines. Political advertisements cannot be published on any internet-based media or social media websites without prior clearance from the respective MCMC. The committees will also maintain strict surveillance against suspected paid news in the media and take appropriate action wherever necessary," the poll body said.

In view of the growing influence of social media in elections, the Commission has also instructed candidates to disclose details of their authentic social media accounts at the time of filing nominations.

Furthermore, in accordance with Section 77(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and the directions of the Supreme Court of India, political parties are required to submit a statement of expenditure incurred on internet-based campaigning, including social media advertisements, within 75 days of the completion of the assembly elections. The reported expenses should cover payments to internet companies, content development, and operational costs associated with maintaining social media accounts.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission announced on Monday that District Election Officers (DEOs) of all 18 districts going to the polls in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections have completed the first randomisation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) with Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs).

Constituency-wise lists of randomly selected EVMs and VVPATs were shared with representatives of all National and State-Recognised Political Parties at their respective district headquarters, the ECI said.