Applicants for pre-certification for political advertisements in print media must apply to the MCMC no later than two days before the proposed publication date of the advertisement. File | Photo credit: The Hindu
Ahead of the upcoming general elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Monday (April 6, 2026) that no political party, candidate, organization or individual should publish any political advertisement in newspapers on or the day before polling unless the content has been certified in advance by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at the state or district level.
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry will go to polls in April, while six states will hold bye elections.
Individuals or competing candidates can apply for advertisement certification from the District MCMC. All registered political parties based in a state or union territory can apply for certification of such advertisements from the state MCMC, the poll body said in a statement.
Applicants for pre-certification for political advertisements in print media must apply to the MCMC no later than two days before the proposed publication date of the advertisement. To facilitate timely pre-certification, state and district level MCMCs have been activated to screen and pre-certify such advertisements and ensure that decisions are taken expeditiously. MCMCs are also keeping a strict watch on suspicious cases of paid news in the media and will take appropriate action, the Election Commission of India said.
Published – 06 Apr 2026 22:10 IST
