No propaganda on cable, decrees EC

VADODARA, Aug 24: Following a fresh fiat from the Election Commission, the local administration has instructed all the 32 video channel c...

VADODARA, Aug 24: Following a fresh fiat from the Election Commission, the local administration has instructed all the 32 video channel control rooms not to telecast any election propaganda. The order nullifies its recent decision that propaganda could be telecast with the permission of the Censor Board of India.

An administration spokesman said if the video control rooms and news magazine channels persisted with telecasting poll material, their registrations and licenses would be cancelled.

Interestingly, the first to feel the brunt of the new order will be the Bharatiya Janata Party, which recently put the finishing touches to a 20-minute video on the 8220;progress8221; Vadodara had made following party majority in the Vadodara Municipal Corporation and the Vadodara Urban Development Authority.

Though party publicity in-charge Ashwin Mehta acquired Censor Board permission to screen the cassette on Tuesday morning, District Collector Anil Mukim told him later in the day that the new orders prohibited the telecast of the cassette.

8220;This is sad, for the party worked hard to prepare the cassette8221;, Mehta told Express Newsline. 8220;We8217;re withholding public broadcast of the audio cassette Himalay Ki Bulundi Se and this video cassette for the time being. But I think both cassettes can be circulated privately.8221;

While asserting that the party was not interested in inviting any sort of complaints, Mehta said the party wouldn8217;t lose too much by not being able to use its propaganda material to the fullest. 8220;We are liked by the people anyway8221;, he said confidently.

Meanwhile, according to official information, all the six candidates for the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat have informed the administration about the number and make of the vehicles they were using for their respective campaigns.

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Congress candidate Urmila Patel has two Jeeps, three Tata Sumos and four auto-rickshaws, while the BJP8217;s Jayaben Thakker is using four Jeeps, one Tata Sumo and five auto-rickshaws. The NCP8217;s Upendrasinh Gohil has three Jeeps, a Tata Sumo and four rickshaws at his disposal.

The BSP8217;s Jaiprakash Prem is using a Jeep and an auto, the JD-U8217;s Satish Desai a Tata Sumo and Independent Chattarsinh Tank a Maruti van.