NewzVille Desk
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued orders requiring all registered political parties, groups, or individual candidates to apply to the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) for pre-certification of all political advertisements on electronic media—including TV, radio, public AV displays, e-papers, bulk SMS/voice messages, and social media—before publication.
Candidates and individuals can apply for certification with the District MCMC, while registered political parties headquartered in a State or Union Territory can approach the State Level MCMC. Applications must be submitted within the specified timelines. An Appellate Committee, headed by the CEO at the State level, will hear appeals against decisions of the District or State MCMC.
No political advertisements are allowed on internet-based media or social media without pre-certification from the respective MCMC. The committees will also monitor suspected paid news cases and take appropriate action.
Candidates are required to share details of their authentic social media accounts in their affidavits at the time of filing nominations.
As per Section 77(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and directions from the Supreme Court of India, political parties must submit statements of expenditure on internet and social media campaigning to the ECI within 75 days of completing the assembly elections. This includes payments to internet companies and websites, content development, and operational costs for maintaining social media accounts.
A meeting was held on March 19, 2026, with CEOs, State Police and IT Nodal Officers of all poll-bound States/UTs, and representatives of social media platforms to sensitize them on these provisions and ensure timely action against misinformation, disinformation, and fake news during elections.
Earlier, the ECI announced the schedule for the General Election to the Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, along with by-elections in six states, on March 15, 2026.
Support NewzVille
We request our readers to donate a small token of appreciation through our UPI. Your contribution highly appreciated. The UPI QR Code is provided below:
