New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday issued detailed guidelines on the pre-certification of political advertisements in print media for the upcoming Assembly elections and bye-elections, aimed at ensuring a free and fair campaign environment.

The Commission had earlier, on March 15, announced the schedule for Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, along with bye-elections in six states.

As part of its measures, the ECI stated that no political party, candidate, organisation, or individual shall publish any advertisement in print media on the poll day or one day prior to it without prior certification from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at the state or district level.

The Commission clarified that individual candidates and other applicants may approach the District MCMC for certification, while recognised political parties headquartered in a state or union territory can apply to the state-level MCMC.

According to the poll schedule, pre-certification of print advertisements will be mandatory on specific dates.

For Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry, where polling will be held on April 9, pre-certification will be required for advertisements published on April 8 and 9.

For Tamil Nadu, going to the polls on April 23, pre-certification will apply to advertisements on April 22 and 23.

In West Bengal, which will have polling in two phases on April 23 and April 29, pre-certification will be mandatory on April 22 and 23 for Phase I, and April 28 and 29 for Phase II.

The ECI has directed that applications for pre-certification must be submitted at least two days prior to the intended publication date. To facilitate this process, MCMCs at both the state and district levels have been activated to examine and approve advertisements promptly.

Additionally, the committees have been tasked with maintaining strict vigilance against instances of paid news in the media and taking appropriate action wherever necessary.

Meanwhile, the Commission on April 5 reported significant enforcement action in poll-bound states. It said that agencies have seized illegal cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals, and freebies worth over Rs 650 crore so far, in a bid to ensure inducement-free elections.

According to the ECI, a total seizure of Rs 651.51 crore has been recorded since the activation of the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS) on February 26, indicating heightened monitoring and strict enforcement measures across election-bound regions.

–IANS

jk/dpb