The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced new measures to regulate political advertising and social media campaigning ahead of 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.
The Commission has issued orders and is requiring every registered, national, and state political party, as well as every contesting candidate, to obtain pre-certification from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) for all political advertisements on electronic and social media before publication. MCMCs have been constituted at both the district and state levels for this purpose, as per the prescribed guidelines.
No political advertisements are to be released on any internet-based media or social media platforms by parties or candidates without prior approval from the respective MCMC. The committees have also been mandated to keep a close watch on potential cases of paid news in the media and take suitable action where necessary.
Further, in view of the growing influence of social media on elections, candidates have been instructed to provide details of their authentic social media accounts while filing their nominations.
In accordance with Section 77(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and the directions of the Supreme Court of India, political parties have also been asked to submit a statement of expenditure incurred on campaigning through the internet, including social media, within 75 days of the completion of the assembly elections. This includes payments made to internet companies and websites for advertisements, as well as costs related to content development and the maintenance of official social media accounts.
