Political parties are now required to get all their advertisements pre-certified by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) before they are published on electronic and social media platforms.
The ECI announced the schedule for the General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Bihar and the by-elections to 8 Assembly Constituencies of six states and the UT of Jammu and Kashmir on October 6.
According to the new guidelines, every registered national, state political party, and every contesting candidate running for election must apply to the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) for pre-certification of all political advertisements before releasing any ad on television, radio, or digital platforms, including social media.
Political Parties to get advertisements pre-certified by Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC); Candidates to inform the Commission of their authentic social media accounts, says the Election Commission of India. pic.twitter.com/AfuQGAf71u
— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2025
The ECI stated that MCMCs have been established at the District and State levels for the approval of political advertisements, as per the prescribed guidelines. It also mentioned that no political parties/candidates will run ads on social media websites or channels without approval from the MCMC.
The MCMC will keep a strict vigil on suspected cases of paid news in the media and take appropriate action, it said. It has also directed candidates to disclose details of their social media accounts.
“Given the penetration of social media in the electoral landscape, candidates have also been instructed to share the details of their authentic social media accounts at the time of filing nominations.”
According to Section 77(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and following the Supreme Court’s directives, political parties should also submit a statement of campaign expenses, including costs for social media and online ads, within 75 days after the elections conclude.
The expenditure report must include payments to internet companies, websites for carrying advertisements, as well as campaign-related expenditures for content development and operational expenditures incurred to maintain their social media accounts, the ECI said.
