New Delhi: As Bihar gears up for the upcoming Assembly Election 2025, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has put its foot down to ensure that the campaign battlefield remains fair, transparent, and free of last-minute propaganda.
In a move aimed at curbing misinformation and unverified political messaging, the ECI has made it mandatory for all political advertisements in print media to undergo pre-certification by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) before being published on the poll day and one day before the poll day.
This directive, which applies to all political parties, candidates, organisations, and individuals, comes into effect for both phases of the Bihar elections scheduled next month.
Two-Phase Polls in Bihar
According to the official schedule released by the Election Commission, the General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Bihar, 2025, along with bye-elections for eight Assembly Constituencies (ACs), will take place in two phases.
Phase-I polling: 6 November 2025 (Thursday)
Phase-II polling: 11 November 2025 (Tuesday)
As per the new compliance order, no political advertisement can appear in newspapers on:
5 & 6 November 2025 (for Phase-I), and
10 & 11 November 2025 (for Phase-II), unless it has been pre-certified by the MCMC.
This effectively means that even the most powerful political players will need to get their promotional content vetted before it reaches the public through newspapers.
Why the Move?
The Election Commission has been increasingly vigilant about controlling last-minute disinformation during elections. Print media, especially in states like Bihar where newspapers continue to hold tremendous sway over rural and semi-urban voters, has often been used for last-minute push campaigns—sometimes bending facts or pushing emotional narratives that could influence voters unfairly.
The ECI’s pre-certification mandate is, therefore, a guardrail — ensuring that what voters read in the crucial final hours before polling is factual, verified, and within the Model Code of Conduct.