Get advertisements pre-certified, EC tells parties ahead of polls, Pg13

Key Highlights:

• The Election Commission (EC) has directed political parties to get advertisements pre-certified before the Bihar Assembly election.
• Candidates must inform the EC about their authentic social media accounts when filing nominations.
• The Bihar Assembly election will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with counting on November 14.
• Political parties must submit expenditure statements for Internet campaigning to the EC within 75 days of election completion.

Detailed Insights:

• The EC issued orders on October 9 requiring pre-certification of all political advertisements on electronic media, including social media.
• Media Certification and Monitoring Committees (MCMC) have been formed at district and state levels for pre-certification.
• Political advertisements cannot be released on Internet-based media or websites without pre-certification by the respective MCMC.
• These committees will monitor suspected cases of paid news in the media and take appropriate action.
• Bulk SMS and audio messages are prohibited during the 48-hour silence period before voting.
• Political parties must include expenditure incurred on campaigning through the Internet in their statements to the EC.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Pre-certification: Mandatory approval process for political advertisements before publication.
• Paid News: News or articles published in exchange for payment or other benefits.
• Silence Period: Period before voting when campaigning is prohibited to allow voters to reflect.