New Delhi, April 6 (NationPress) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has released comprehensive guidelines regarding the pre-certification of political advertisements in print media as part of its efforts to foster a transparent and equitable campaign atmosphere for the forthcoming Assembly elections and bye-elections.

Previously, on March 15, the ECI revealed the timeline for Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, along with bye-elections across six states.

As part of its regulatory measures, the ECI emphasized that no political entity, candidate, organization, or individual is permitted to publish any advertisement in print media on polling day or the day preceding it without obtaining prior clearance from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at either the state or district level.

The Commission specified that individual candidates and other applicants can seek certification from the District MCMC, while recognized political parties based in a state or union territory may apply to the state-level MCMC.

In alignment with the election schedule, pre-certification for print advertisements will be obligatory on designated dates.

For Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry, where voting occurs on April 9, pre-certification will be essential for advertisements released on April 8 and 9.

In Tamil Nadu, with polling set for April 23, pre-certification will be necessary for advertisements published on April 22 and 23.

For West Bengal, which will conduct polling in two phases on April 23 and April 29, pre-certification is mandated on April 22 and 23 for Phase I, and April 28 and 29 for Phase II.

The ECI has instructed that applications for pre-certification should be submitted at least two days before the desired publication date. To streamline this process, MCMCs at both state and district levels have been mobilized to review and authorize advertisements swiftly.

Moreover, these committees are responsible for maintaining rigorous oversight against instances of paid news in the media, taking necessary actions as required.

Additionally, the Commission disclosed on April 5 that significant enforcement actions have been undertaken in states heading to polls. It reported that over Rs 650 crore worth of illegal cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals, and freebies have been confiscated thus far, as part of efforts to guarantee inducement-free elections.

As per the ECI, the total seizure has reached Rs 651.51 crore since the launch of the Electronic Seizure Management System (ESMS) on February 26, highlighting intensified monitoring and stringent enforcement measures in election-affected areas.