New Delhi, Oct 14 || The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed that all political parties and contesting candidates must seek pre-certification from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) before releasing any political advertisements on electronic media, including social media platforms.
The directive, issued on October 9, aims to ensure transparency and accountability in political campaigning, the poll body said in an official statement on Tuesday.
The order comes shortly after the announcement of the schedule for the General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Bihar and the bye-elections to eight Assembly constituencies across six states and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the ECI, MCMCs have been constituted at both the district and state levels to oversee the pre-certification process for political advertisements as per the prescribed guidelines.
"No political advertisements are to be released to any internet-based media/websites, including social media websites, by political parties or candidates without pre-certification from the respective MCMC," the statement said.