Election Commission recommends free airtime on private media for political parties

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission has, in a paper detailing the outcome of its March 30 national consultation on political finance and Law Commission recommendations, claimed a broad agreement on increasing in-kind subsidy to political parties by way of free airtime in private media and state sponsorship of transportation charges as well as specified rally expenses. However, before this is done, strict and enforceable expenditure ceiling is sought to be imposed on the political parties.

Among the issues of broad agreement that emerged from the consultation's plenary session, attended by CEC H S Brahma and EC Nasim Zaidi, Law Commission chairman Justice A P Shah, former CECs, political party representatives and others, was creation of a national electoral trust controlled by the commission, with provision of weighted deductions on corporate donations and with budget support from the government, to fund the in-kind subsidy.

While concurring on the need to control paid news through legislation, the delegates called for a ban on government advertisements in any media for six months prior to expiry of the House as well as in party-owned media. If approved, this could spell the end of poll-eve campaigns such as NDA's 'India Shining' or UPA's 'Bharat Nirman'.

The EC compilation on points of consensus at the national consultation on political finance is being sent to all national and state parties for their views. Once their comments are in, EC will incorporate them into its final document to be forwarded to the law ministry.

According to the EC paper, a majority of participants at the consultation's plenary session were in favour of a ceiling on party campaign expenditure, depending on membership and number of candidates sponsored. There was agreement on linking state funding of party campaigns not only to their performance in past elections but also to compliance with internal democracy and transparency norms.

Food packets for counting and polling agents, state sponsorship of bulk SMS as well as private airtime for parties were suggested as in-kind subsidies. Private media, it was proposed, could give free airtime to EC as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR), for further allotment to parties. This, however, would have to accompanied by a ceiling on media expenditure by parties, "since media has a powerful, opinion making role in society," it was agreed.

As of now, only airtime on state-owned media is allotted to parties for poll campaigning.