Election Commission bans political parties from print ads without clearance (Apr 8-9)

On 2026-04-04, the Election Commission of India directed political parties, candidates, organisations, and others contesting Kerala’s Assembly polls not to publish print advertisements on April 8 and 9 unless the content was pre-certified by the MCMC. The directive was issued through Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar and warned that misleading or inflammatory ads could vitiate the electoral process.