MCC violation: EC bans Karnataka govt ads in Telangana newspapers

Hyderabad: The Election Commission (EC) has put on hold Karnataka Congress government’s advertisements in Telangana newspapers.

As per the EC, the ads violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in Telangana.

The EC issued a notice to the Karnataka government on Monday seeking an explanation for the advertisements in Telangana dailies. EC said the Karnataka government had not sought prior approval for these advertisements, thereby showcasing non-compliance with the electoral norms. The EC has also questioned why disciplinary action should not be initiated against the secretary in charge of the Department of Information and Public Relations for these violations.

The move to ban the ads came after BJP leaders complained about violation of the Representation of the People Act and the MCC. Urging the EC to take action against the violation, they said that such ads in Telangana’s media just before the elections will influence the outcome of the Telangana Assembly elections, to be held on November 30, 2023. The ads in question highlight the welfare schemes and achievements of the Karnataka government.

Recently BJP leaders including Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, former minister Prakash Javadekar, and other party leaders Sudhanshu Trivedi and Om Pathak submitted a complaint to the EC about the advertisements. The BJP has also called for legal action stating that through the ads, the Congress in Karnataka is using public money to influence elections in the neighbouring state of Telangana.

Of late, there have been many such complaints and counter-complaints regarding the publication and broadcasting of election-related advertisements by various political parties against one another and the EC has been taking the necessary action wherever it has found that the MCC has been violated.

Further, the silent period commences from Tuesday evening in poll-bound Telangana, barring all political canvassing and public gatherings. As per the EC norms, “No political party or candidate or any other organization or person shall publish any advertisement in the print media on the poll day or one day before the poll day unless the contents of political advertisements are pre-certified by them from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at the state or district level as the case may be. The applicants have to apply to the MCMC no later than two days before the proposed date of publication of such advertisements.”