Election Commission makes pre-certification and social media disclosure mandatory for candidates

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed all political parties and candidates to obtain pre-certification for political advertisements on electronic and social media platforms before releasing them.

The move comes after the October 6 announcement of the Bihar Assembly election schedule and by-elections for eight Assembly constituencies across six states and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the new guidelines, every registered national and state political party, as well as individual candidates, must seek approval from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) before publishing or broadcasting any advertisement on television, radio, or digital platforms, including social media.

The Election Commission stated that media certification committees have been formed at both the district and state levels to oversee the pre-certification process and monitor content. These committees will also identify and act upon instances of paid news. The poll body has clarified that no political advertisements can be aired or displayed on any internet-based media or websites without prior certification.

Recognising the growing role of social media in election campaigns, the commission has also made it mandatory for candidates to disclose details of their official social media accounts at the time of filing nominations.

The ECI further referred to Section 77(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and Supreme Court directives, which require political parties to submit a statement of campaign expenses within 75 days after the elections. This report must include spending on social media and online advertisements.

The commission added that the expenditure report should detail payments made to internet companies, costs for creating content, and expenses related to managing official social media accounts.