EC asks parties to get ads verified; candidates to share social media accounts

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday directed political parties to get their advertisements verified and certified by its media certification wing before releasing them on any electronic platform, including social media. It also asked candidates to share details of their authentic social media accounts in their affidavits while filing nominations.

Ahead of the assembly elections in four states and a Union Territory, and by-elections in six states, the poll panel said that “no political advertisements should be released on any internet-based media/websites, including social media websites, by political parties/ candidates without pre-certification from the respective Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC).”

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Any registered political party or any group of organisation/association or any contesting candidate/individual should apply to the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) for pre-certification of all political advertisements on electronic media such as TV, Radio, AV displays at public places, e-papers, and bulk SMS/voice messages, including social media, before publication, it added.

“Individuals or contesting candidates can apply for certification of advertisements with the District MCMC. All registered political parties headquartered in a State/UT can apply for certification of such advertisements with the State-Level MCMC. The applications must be submitted within the specified timelines. An Appellate Committee headed by the CEO is also constituted at the State level to entertain appeals against the decisions of District/State MCMC,” it added, saying that the MCMCs will also keep a strict vigil on suspected cases of paid news in the media and take suitable action.

The candidates are also required to share the details of their authentic social media accounts in their affidavits at the time of filing nominations.

Quoting Section 77(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and the directions of the Supreme Court, the EC said that political parties should also submit a statement of expenditure incurred on campaigning through the internet, including social media websites, to the ECI within 75 days of the completion of the assembly elections.

“Such expenditure, among other things, shall include payments made to internet companies and websites for carrying advertisements and campaign related expenditure on development of content and operational expenditure incurred to maintain their social media accounts,” the EC said following a meeting with CEOs, State Police Nodal Officers, State IT Nodal Officers of poll-bound States/UT and the representatives of Social Media Platforms (SMPs) on Thursday to sensitise them about “the provisions and to check and ensure timely action against reported instances of misinformation, disinformation and fake-news during elections.”