EC in-house censor likely

While the SC brief basically dealt with ads on cable and news channels, the EC may include the committee’s jurisdiction to include print ads.

The EC pre-screening committee is likely to be headed by Deputy Election Commissioner A.N. Jha. It will also include chief electoral officers of all the states.

The EC formulated the guidelines for screening of ads at a late-night meeting yesterday. The ads will have to pass the test of decency and political correctness before they get a certification for telecast. The cost incurred on making a political ad may be included in the candidate’s expenditure, which has a ceiling of Rs 25 lakh per Lok Sabha constituency and Rs 10 lakh for an Assembly seat.

A political ad meant for telecast will have to be submitted to the EC 10 days before it is to be sent to cable TV or news channels. This is the period the EC will require to vet the ad and give it clearance.

To stop mudslinging by parties during elections, the apex court had on April 2 banned telecast of all political advertisements on cable network and TV channels which offend ‘‘the morality, decency and religious susceptibility of viewers’’ and asked the Commission to monitor them.

The court had also sought the response of the Commission by April 5 on whether the money spent on ads by a candidate could be included in his election expenses.

The Commission is also likely to address the issue of political advertising and personalised attacks at the all-party meeting called by it on April 6.

The meeting would also discuss issues like opinion polls and exit polls conducted by various agencies in the run-up to the elections.