The Maharashtra Election Commission has sought the Press Council of India's assistance to check the menace of paid news in the upcoming zilla parishad and corporation polls in the State.
“We have created committees at various places under the corporation chairman and district collector to look into complaints of paid news. We have also written to the Press Council and asked them to appoint a representative on each of these committees,” State Election Commissioner Neela Satyanarayan told a press conference here on Thursday.
Ten municipal corporations and 27 zilla parishads are going to the polls on February 16 and February 7 respectively.
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The Commission has banned exit and opinion polls till February 16, Ms. Satyanarayan said.
The Commission has received 18,881 nominations from 10 corporations. There are 5,219 nominations filed for the 502 reserved seats.
Ms. Satyanarayan said the Commission has also conveyed its displeasure to the State government for keeping it in the dark about the reasons for giving extension to the Mumbai civic chief Subodh Kumar.
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Three-month extension
Mr. Kumar was given a three-month extension on the last day of his term.