New Delhi: The Election Commission has asked all political parties and candidates in Karnataka to get permission from the media certification and monitoring committee if they intend to publish advertisements in the print media on the day of polling (May 10) or the day before it (May 9).
The EC also wrote to editors of all big newspapers in the state, saying it was their responsibility to ensure that no advertisements are published on these days without permission, Hindustan Times reported.
“An editor shall be responsible for all matters, including advertisements, published in the newspaper. If responsibility is disclaimed, this shall be explicitly stated beforehand,” the EC’s letter said, citing the Press Council of India’s norms.
In the advisory to political parties, the EC said, “No political party or candidate or any other organisation or person shall publish any advertisement in the print media on poll day and one day prior to poll day unless the contents of political advertisement are got pre-certified by them from the MCMC at the state/district level, as the case may be.”
Earlier too, the EC has issued such directions to political parties. In April, it had said, “… instances of advertisements of offending and misleading nature published in print media have been brought to the notice of the commission in the past. Such advertisements in the last stage of the election vitiate the entire election process.”