The allocation of telecast time to political parties during elections on All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) will now be done online. This comes after the Election Commission of India (ECI) amended its previous policy on political parties’ use of government-owned electronic media.
With this convenience, political parties will not be required to send representatives to ECI or chief electoral officer offices to physically collect time vouchers during the election. According to a statement made by the Election Commission, it illustrates the commission’s commitment to harnessing technology for the advancement of the election process and the convenience of all stakeholders. “In response to technological advancements, the commission has provided IT-based options for interacting with political parties.” “Recently, the commission also launched a web portal for political parties to file financial accounts with the ECI online,” the commission noted.
During the 1998 general election, the ECI directed the implementation of a plan for political parties to conduct campaigns on state-owned television and radio channels. It was then extended to all state assembly elections. It was developed following extensive consultations with recognised national and state parties, with the goal of assuring equitable access to government-owned electronic media for campaigning during elections. The Election Commission’s approach allots an equitable base time to each national and recognised state party on DD and AIR. The additional time granted to the parties is determined by their poll performance in the previous elections.
Post Your Comments