English
Assembly Elections 2021: With just a few days left for the assembly elections to begin in 4 states and one UT, the Election Commission on Tuesday decided to double the broadcast and telecast time allotted to each national parties as well as recognised state parties on DD and AIR in the poll-bound Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. The Commission took the decision considering the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and enhanced relevance of non-contact based campaign. It had taken a similar decision for Bihar assembly polls held late last year.
“The Election Commission of India in consultation with Prasar Bharti Corporation has decided to double the broadcast and telecast time allotted to each national parties and recognised state parties in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal on Doordarshan and All India Radio during the ongoing general election to the Legislative Assembly in these regions,” the EC said in a statement.
Issuing a statement, the EC said that a base time of 90 minutes will be given to each national party and recognised state party of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal uniformly on the regional kendras of Doordarshan and All India Radio network in the poll going states and the UT.
The EC said that the allotment of additional time to the party has been decided on the basis of the poll performance of the party in the last assembly elections held in these states and the UT in 2016.
At the time of 1998 Lok Sabha elections, a new initiative for state funding of recognised political parties through free use of the state-owned television and radio was introduced. The scheme was subsequently extended in all the assembly elections held after 1998 and Lok Sabha polls in 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019.
The development comes as the Assembly elections will be held in three phases in Assam on March 27, April 1 and April 6; and in eight phases in West Bengal on March 27, April 1, April 6, April 10, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29. The legislative Assemblies of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will have single phase of polling on April 6. The counting of votes in all states and the UT will take place on May 2.
(With inputs from PTI, IANS)
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