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New Delhi, Oct 21 (IANS) Ahead of Bihar election, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday issued a notification regarding the pre-certification of print advertisements for the pre-poll period and the polling day. Deputy Director of the ECI, P. Pawan, said in a statement, “The ECI has announced the schedule for the General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Bihar, 2025, and the by-elections for eight Assembly constituencies. The dates of polling have been fixed for November 6 and November 11.” “In order to ensure a fair campaign environment, no political party, candidate, organisation, or person shall publish any advertisement in print media on the poll day and the preceding day unless the contents are pre-certified by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at the State or District level,” the ECI added. For Bihar, the restricted days are November 5 and 6 for Phase I and November 10 and 11 for Phase II, according to the ECI. “Applicants seeking pre-certification for political advertisements in print media must submit their applications to the MCMC no later than two days before the intended publication date. To facilitate timely clearance, the MCMC at both State and District levels has been activated to review and pre-certify advertisements and ensure decisions are made promptly,” the ECI added in a statement. On October 18, the ECI had announced a paid holiday for employed voters on the two polling days for the Bihar Assembly elections and warned employers of penalties if they deduct wages from employees who take leave on November 6 and 11. “The Commission has directed State governments to issue necessary instructions to all concerned for strict compliance with these provisions and to ensure that all electors can exercise their franchise freely and conveniently,” said the ECI in a circular. According to the ECI’s schedule, by-elections to eight Assembly Constituencies across seven states will also be held on November 11. P. Pawan further added, “As per Section 135B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, every person employed in any business, trade, industrial undertaking, or other establishment and entitled to vote shall be granted a paid holiday on the polling day.”
