EC to issue air time vouchers online for campaign through public broadcasters

The allotment of air time to political parties for campaigning on All India Radio and Doordarshan will now be done online to enhance efficiency, the Election Commission said on Tuesday.

The poll body has amended the existing scheme for the use of government-owned electronic media by political parties.

This has been done by introducing a provision to issue digital air time vouchers through an information technology platform, the Election Commission (EC) said.

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Now, political parties will not be required to send their representatives to the EC or offices of state chief electoral officers to physically collect air time vouchers during elections.

The scheme on free air time was initially brought out in January 1998 and is aimed at ensuring equitable access to government-owned electronic media during elections for campaigning.

Under the scheme, an equitable base time is allotted to each recognised national party and recognised state party uniformly on All India Radio and Doordarshan. Additional time is allotted to the parties on the basis of their poll performance in the last assembly election from the respective states or in the last Lok Sabha polls, as the case may be.

The actual date and time during which the telecasts or broadcasts will be made by the authorised representatives of any party is predetermined by a draw of lot.