EC sends notice to Renuka, Nishank for poll code breach

HARIDWAR: The Election Commission has issued notices to BJP candidate Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank and Congress nominee Renuka Rawat for violating the model code of conduct by issuing advertisements of their websites on social media without the required certification.

Nishank has also been asked to explain publication of paid news in a weekly magazine. The leaders have been given a week to submit their explanation.

Assistant returning officer, Haridwar, BS Dhanik said a four-page article described as 'advertorial' was published in the April issue of Parvatjan, a Dehradun-based weekly. The article's font matched that of other stories in the magazine and eulogized Nishank's journey from a schoolteacher to a politician. Putting it in the paid news category requires the candidate to submit details of the actual expenditure.

As per the rules, an advertisement on electronic media must be certified by the MCMC (media committee for monitoring and certification). "Both Nishank and Rawat have been found acting in violation of the rules. Advertisements issued by them were appearing on social media without the requisite certification," Dehradun district information officer Manoj Srivastav said.

Meanwhile, Nishank told TOI that he did not know about the article or the advertisement. He also claimed that he had not received any notice from the EC. Rawat was not available for comment.