The Election Commission has warned against the use of bulk SMSes and audio messages during the 48-hour 'silence period' before the conclusion of voting in the Bihar assembly polls. The EC has also mandated pre-certification of political advertisements on electronic media, including social media.
In the advisory to political parties, the poll authority also emphasised on "clean and serious" campaign as electioneering reached feverish pitch in the southern state.
The EC said any political content has to be permitted by the local media certification committee
State Election Commission has found nine articles in local newspapers as "paid news" during Chhattisgarh assembly polls and directed that expenses incurred in publishing them be added to poll expenditure of parties and candidates concerned.
The notices were served following complaints received by the Nanded district administration of poll campaigning-related posts being circulated on these WhatsApp groups ahead the next week's state assembly elections, he said.
The Election Commission has done its homework pretty well on political hashtags, observes ad guru Sandeep Goyal.
EC in its fresh advisory said despite the direction certain advertisements of "offending nature" have been brought to its notice.
It is fine as long as there is no reference to the candidate or constituency going to poll in that particular phase.
Delhi's Election Commission has detected instances of "paid news" relating to five candidates in the run-up to assembly election and added expenditure in this regard in their poll expenses.
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