EC allows use of state electronic media for Assembly polls

New Delhi, Oct 23 (UNI) The Election Commission today decided to extend the scheme of equitable time sharing on electronic media through Prasar Bharti for political parties to the coming polls to the Assemblies of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Delhi and Jammu&Kashmir.

The facilities of use of broadcast time and telecast time would be available only to National parties and recognised State Parties in these states an EC statement here said.

The facilities would be available from the Regional Kendra of All India Radio and Doordarshan and in the headquarters of, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Delhi and Jammu&Kashmir and relayed by other stations within the State.

A base time of 45 minutes would be given to each National Party and Recognised State Party (recognised in the State) uniformly on the Regional Kendra of Doordarshan network in these six States.

The National and State parties would be treated at par for the Assembly elections.

The additional time to be allotted to the parties has been decided on the basis of the poll performance of the parties of the last Lok Sabha and Assenmbly election from these six states.

In a single session of broadcast, no party would be allocated more than 15 minutes.

The period of broadcast and telecast would be between the last date of filing the nominations and would end two days before the date of poll in these states.

However, there would be no telecast or broadcast during the 48 hours preceding the close of polls as per specific provisions of Representation of the People's Act, 1951.

The Prasar Bharati Corporation (PBC)in consultation with the Commission would decide the actual date and time for broadcast and telecast. This would be subject to the broad technical constraints governing the actual time of transmission available with the Doordarshan and All India Radio.

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