The Hindu Business Line : Political parties can advertise on TV channels: SC

POLITICAL parties can now advertise freely on television channels with the Supreme Court on Tuesday appointing the Election Commission as the sole authority to certify the ads.

A three-judge Bench headed by the Chief Justice, Mr V.N. Khare, said that political parties, contesting candidates or any other person intending to insert ads in the electronic media would have to submit contents of the advertisement along with its transcript to the EC or its nominated official for clearance.

The EC has been empowered to seize the equipment of the TV channel or the cable operator showing illegal advertisements. The order shall remain in force from April 16 till May 10.

For the first phase of elections, scheduled for April 20, the Court said that clearances should be obtained two days before the proposed date of telecast while for the remaining phases of the elections, it said that advertisements should be submitted to the EC for clearance at least three days before the proposed date of telecast. In case of others, the advertisement has to be submitted seven days before the proposed date of telecast, it said.

Anybody inserting advertisements in electronic media would also have to give an affidavit to the Election Commissioner stating the cost of production, total cost of advertisement, whether the advertisement is for a particular party or a candidate, the advertisement issued by persons or a trust have to state whether it was funded by a political party or for the benefit of candidates. The Court has made it mandatory for all those intending to insert political advertisement to make payment only through cheques and demand draft and not in cash.

The Bench authorised the EC to appoint State-level sub-committees to entertain the grievances regarding non-certification of the advertisements by the District Magistrate or his nominee, who have been authorised to screen the advertisement. Also, political parties would have to stop campaigning two days before the poll date.

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