Evening dailies on State Election Commission's radar for paid news

As the BBMP elections draw closer, certain vernacular eveningers have come under the State Election Commission's scanner for their  ‘paid news.’

Sources in the BBMP said a majority of the poll code violations listed by the authorities concerned pertain to the ‘paid news’ by the local TV news channels and the evening dailies.

A separate wing created at the BBMP head office and all the eight zones to monitor poll code compliance, has found that some evening dailies went overboard in their coverage and heaped praises on the candidates.

The officers have categorised such news items as advertisement, fixed its rate as per the prevailing market value and added it to the election expenditure of the candidates concerned. Similarly, some news channels did not seek SEC approval before airing advertisement. Also, they have showed visuals that looked like canvassing for the candidates, which too has considered election expenditure. A Palike officer said that notices will be served on the channels soon.

The BBMP officials recently seized as many as 70 pressure cookers at KR Puram when some people canvassing for a party were distributing them in a slum.

A Palike officer said the identity of the political party or their workers could not be ascertained as they ran away after seeing the officials.