Parties can campaign on Doordarshan, AIR: Poll officer

Chandigarh, August 30

Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal today said the Election Commission of India has fixed a time for recognised national and regional political parties to conduct their election campaigns through the regional centres of Doordarshan and All India Radio for the Assembly elections.

He said the EC has allotted time to six national and two regional political parties of Haryana. He said the national parties include the BJP, Congress, CPM, BSP, Rashtriya People’s Party and AAP. Apart from this, regional parties include the INLD and JJP.

He pointed out that the Commission had permitted free use of television and radio for campaigning in the 1998 General Election, and subsequently extended it to the state legislative Assembly/General Election. With the amendments to the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election and other Related Laws (Amendment) Act, 2003 and the rules notified thereunder, equal time sharing for campaigning on electronic media by recognised political parties has become statutory. The CEO informed that a total time of 720 minutes each has been allotted to the political parties for campaigning on All India Radio and Doordarshan.