The Election Commission, EC, has said there should be pre-certification of political advertisements in print media on the day of poll and one day prior to poll in Assam and West Bengal. It directed political parties, candidates and other organisations not to publish any advertisement on 3rd and 4th of this month ahead of the 1st phase of elections in the two States, unless the contents of the advertisement proposed to be published are pre-certified by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at the State or District level. The Commission said instances of offending advertisements and misleading nature have been brought to its notice in the past published in the print media. It stated that such advertisements in the last stage of of the election vitiate the election. Similar direction has also been issued to all newspapers in Assam and West Bengal that they should not publish any advertisement on 3rd and 4th of April without pre-certification by MCMC.