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AIR, DD to host views from top political parties

The six national and 48 state parties recognised by the Election Commission will be given time on the state-owned electronic media to air their views -- subject to prescribed guidelines, of course -- for the forthcoming elections.

This facility will not be available to unrecognised parties and independent candidates, the EC said on Wednesday.

A total of 126 hours will be shared on the All India Radio and Doordarshan by the recognised parties. This includes a 10-minute telecast for each party on the DD's regional satellite service channel.

The broadcast can be heard on the AIR's national hook-up, an EC release said.

Each political party will have the discretion to choose representatives for the electronic media. The date and time for the telecast and broadcast will be decided by the authorised representatives of the parties and scheduled by a draw of lot by the Prasar Bharati Corporation in consultation with the EC.

The guidelines on airing will be the same as prescribed and followed for the 1998 general election, the release said.

In addition to the facilities, the Prasar Bharati Corporation will be allowed to organise two panel discussions at the national level on the DD national channel and the AIR. National parties will be allowed to nominate representatives for such programmes.

In Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Sikkim where the general election will be held along with the poll to the legislative assembly, similar debates will be allowed on the regional kendras of the DD and AIR concerned.

The six recognised national parties are the Bahujan Samaj Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India-Marxist, Indian National Congress and Janata Dal.

The recognised state parties are the Arunachal Congress, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Asom Gana Parishad, Shiv Sena, All India Trinamul Congress, ASDC, Biju Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party, All India Forward Bloc, Federal Party of Manipur, Telugu Desam Party, Shiromoni Akali Dal, Lok Shakti, Sikkim Sangram Parishad, Samata Party, Sikkim Democratic Front, FPM, HPDC, HVC of Himachal Pradesh, ICS, Indian National Lok Dal, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, JMM, Janata Party, Kerala Congress, KC-M, MAG, MDMK, MNF, MNF-N, MPP, MSCP, MUL, MZPC, NTR-LP, PDM, PMK, Rashtriya Janata Dal, RPI, RSP, Shrimoni Akali Dal, SJP-R, TMC-M, TUJS, UDP, UGDP, United Minorities' Front of Assam, GRPC, HVC of Haryana and Minorities' Front of Assam.

UNI

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