Tamil Nadu: The Election Commission has issued an order mandating that political parties must obtain a certification of approval before publishing political advertisements ahead of the assembly elections.
Assembly elections have been announced for the states of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, West Bengal, and Assam, while by-elections are scheduled to be held in six other states. In light of this, it has been announced that obtaining prior permission from the ‘Media Certification and Monitoring Committee’ is mandatory before publishing political advertisements via electronic media channels—such as television, radio, text messages, voice messages, and social media.
Independent candidates may approach the district-level ‘Media Certification and Monitoring Committee’ to seek permission, whereas recognized political parties may contact the state-level committee.
To enhance transparency, contesting candidates are required to submit details regarding their official social media accounts in an affidavit at the time of filing their nomination papers. Furthermore, a detailed report of the expenditure incurred on election campaigning—including activities on digital platforms such as social media—must be submitted within 75 days of the conclusion of the elections.
