TFP Bureau, Raipur, November 10, 2024: The Election Commission of India has implemented stringent guidelines for the Raipur Nagar (South) Assembly by-election to prevent misleading political advertisements in print, electronic, and social media. As per the directive, any political advertisement intended for print media on polling day, November 13, or the day before, must receive prior certification from an approved media certification committee.
Chief Electoral Officer Reena Babasaheb Kangale detailed the process, emphasizing that the pre-certification rule applies to all political ads published in print media within 48 hours of the election. The district or state-level media certification committees are tasked with expediting decisions on these applications, and candidates are advised to submit their advertisements for certification at least two days before their intended publication date.
The move aims to prevent scenarios where misleading ads, if published right before or on polling day, leave affected parties without recourse to respond or clarify. Mrs. Kangale stated that ensuring the transparency and fairness of elections necessitates the pre-certification requirement to prevent misinformation from impacting voters at the last minute.
