New Delhi [India], October 21 (ANI): The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued comprehensive directives to ensure a fair and transparent campaign environment ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, scheduled in two phases on November 6 and November 11.
According to an official release, no political party, candidate, organization, or individual shall publish any advertisement in print media on the poll day or one day prior to it unless the content has been pre-certified by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at the State or District level. For Bihar, the restricted days are November 5 and 6 for Phase I, and November 10 and 11 for Phase II.
Applicants seeking pre-certification for political advertisements in print media must apply to the respective MCMC at least two days before the proposed publication date. To ensure timely decisions, MCMCs at both State and District levels have been activated to examine and certify advertisements efficiently.
In a related development, the Election Commission announced that 824 flying squads have been deployed across Bihar to ensure strict enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and to guarantee that complaints are addressed within 100 minutes. Citizens and political parties can report MCC violations via the “C-Vigil App” on “ECINET” or through the 24×7 Call Centre (1950).
As of October 21, a total of 650 complaints were received through the C-Vigil App, with 649 already resolved—94 percent of them within the stipulated 100-minute window. Additionally, enforcement drives have led to seizures worth ₹71.32 crores, including cash, liquor, drugs, and precious metals.
The poll panel has also instructed all States and Union Territories to ensure strict adherence to the Model Code of Conduct and related guidelines. It further clarified that polling days in Bihar—November 6 and 11—will be declared paid holidays for all residents of the area employed in any business, trade, industrial undertaking, or establishment. This directive also extends to the bye-elections in eight Assembly constituencies across seven States and Union Territories scheduled for November 11.
Quoting Section 135B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the EC emphasized that “every person employed in any business, trade, industrial undertaking, or establishment, and entitled to vote at an election, shall be granted a paid holiday on the day of poll.” Employers are prohibited from deducting wages on account of such holidays, and any contravention of this provision will attract penalties.
The EC further clarified that even electors working outside their constituency but registered as voters in areas going to polls are entitled to a paid holiday on the polling day to enable them to cast their vote. State and UT governments have been directed to issue necessary instructions for strict compliance to ensure all voters can exercise their franchise freely and conveniently.
With the announcement of candidates for the first phase, electioneering is gaining momentum across Bihar as political parties intensify their campaigns ahead of the polls. (ANI)
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